Demonstrations in AJK: Anti-power outage protests continue

MIRPUR:

People across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) took to the streets on Tuesday in a fresh wave of protest against prolonged power outages.

The protesters thronged major avenues in Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Kotli and Mirpur, blocking traffic and lashing out at the government for failing to curb load-shedding in Ramazan during Sehar and Iftar. They complained of facing up to 18 hours of outages a day and demanded of the government to make alternate arrangements to ensure continuous supply of electricity.

In Kotli, protesters burnt tyres to block roads and staged a sit-in outside the Kotli Press Club under the leadership of Kotli Youth Forum and local traders.

In Rawalakot, power consumers held a protest meeting at Chak Bazar, during which speakers rebuked the government for failing to put an end to unscheduled power outages and demanded immediate resignation of AJK’s President Sardar Yaqoob Khan, Legislative Assembly Speaker Sardar Ghulam Sadiq, Public Accounts Committee Chairman Abid Hussain Abid and Social Welfare Minister Farzana Yaqoob.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2012.