MANSEHRA: The residents and traders of Upper Kohistan on Wednesday staged a sit-in and blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) for the third consecutive day against Wapda, alleging that it had failed to provide electricity through the local gridstation.
“People of Kohistan are still without electricity despite Wapda’s announcement that uninterrupted power would be supplied through the gridstation established in the Chuchang area,” said Maulana Uzair, chairman of Sazeen tehsil, while addressing protesters at Kamila.
The protesters blocked the KKH at Bypass Road, suspending traffic within the district and between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.They raised slogans against Wapda and the government, demanding the immediate supply of electricity to Upper Kohistan.
“Most parts of our district are still without electricity. People have been relying on power generated through local turbines and generators, many of which were washed away during the recent flash floods that added to our hardships,” Maulana Uzair said.
The motorists and passengers remained stranded in their vehicles on both sides of the KKH due to the blockade.Maulana Umar also said that the protesters had decided to block the KKH and stage a sit-in daily from 5pm to 10pm during the coming week. He warned that if their demands were not met and electricity was not supplied through the Chuchang gridstation, they would expand their protest movement.
