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The anger of locals in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is mounting against those sitting in Islamabad, as people reeling under high prices of essential items are left with no other option but to express their outrage on the streets.
Last month, a shutter-down and wheel jam strike was observed across PoK as a protest against inflation and high electricity bills. Highly inflated bills have put undue financial strain on the people who live in a region which produces maximum electricity. Owing to stepmotherly treatment by the Islamabad government, residents in PoK are facing hours of load shedding. The people in the PoK are demanding the rightful ownership of the electricity they generate. Syed Waqar Hussain Kazmi, advocate and activist from PoK, says, "At least 4000 MW electricity is generated from the area but still it faces excessive load shedding" United in protest, enraged citizens in PoK have called for a total boycott of payment of electricity bills. People in Muzaffarabad and other areas allege that projects in their region are meant to serve the interests of other provinces. The residents in the occupied region also claim that they are being charged for several non-functional projects. "Rental power project and several other projects are non-functional. They are not producing anything but as per agreement Pakistani government is providing money to the related companies. No one knows how those companies came here but they are getting money collected from our overcharged bills" says Kajmi. The exploitation of resources, corruption and wrong policies of Islamabad are pushing the entire region of PoK towards anarchy. Frustration among the masses, created by the State-manufactured crisis, could soon lead to a massive rebellion. (ANI)
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