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Residents of Ghizer district in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) recently staged a protest against prolonged electricity outages, alleging discriminatory and unequal distribution of power by the authorities.
Protesters claimed that while ordinary residents face severe load-shedding and struggle to meet basic electricity needs, government officials and select residential colonies continue to receive an uninterrupted power supply. Locals said the power crisis has severely disrupted daily life, especially during the harsh winter season, forcing many families to rely on firewood for heating and other necessities. Activists participating in the protest alleged that for nearly 200 households associated with government officials, a separate transformer with a capacity of over 200 KV ensures continuous electricity, while the general public is left without power for most of the day. One protester said that the situation amounts to "atrocity," stating that the protest would not have taken place had officials also faced similar shortages. Another activist highlighted the impact of the power crisis on education and livelihoods, noting that students pursuing online studies and youth dependent on digital businesses are being severely affected. Due to the lack of electricity, many young people are reportedly being forced to migrate to towns in search of better facilities. Protesters also raised concerns over broader civic neglect, alleging that despite repeated complaints to the local administration, no concrete action has been taken to resolve the issue. Warning the authorities, demonstrators said that if their demands continue to be ignored, they will intensify their agitation and resort to road blockades in the coming days. Earlier, residents of Juglot and adjoining areas in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) raised serious concerns over prolonged mobile network and internet outages, saying the disruption severely affected daily life, businesses, education, and emergency communication, according to a WTV report. Residents said that despite mobile tower lights being visible, there had been no internet connectivity or mobile signal for several days, with some claiming the service remains completely non-functional from morning till evening. According to residents, network availability is inconsistent and dependent on limited tower operations, often linked to fuel shortages and electricity outages. (ANI)
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