Pakistan occupied Gilgit Baltistan (POGB) once again witnesses the protest against the load shedding in the region. On March 10, some women along with other protestors hit the streets of Amphery in Gilgit and hurled slogans against the puppet government which has failed to even provide basic electric supply.
Just a couple of days ago, the puppet government announced to provide about 5-hours of power a day during Ramadan. This shows the precarious condition of electricity in POGB. Five hours of supply given on special occasions tells that on normal days the power shortage remains unimaginably low.
Additionally, a protest just a day before the holy month clearly indicates that people have lost faith in the Pak-imposed puppet government in POGB. It is worth noting that POGB, like POJK, has put forward a Charter of Demand to the puppet government under which the wheat flour price crisis and Revenue Act related issues are only resolved. The issue of electricity that remains crucial for the survival of people remains unresolved and the load shedding continues.
Clearly, the electricity shortage is not a genuine problem but an Islamabad-engineered crisis. The region along with POJK has the potential to generate electricity of enormous amounts. But whatever amount of power is generated, it is transmitted to Pakistan, which sells it to them on hefty prices and abundant load shedding. Surprisingly, parts of Pakistan do not face such scarcity. Therefore, it is a doctored crisis which is proof of persecution, exploitation and colonialism.