Power cuts in Mirpur ignite violent protests

By Tariq Naqash 
Thursday, 25 Mar, 2010

MUZAFFARABAD, March 24: A massive protest against prolonged loadshedding in Mirpur city on Wednesday escalated into pitched battles with police, causing injuries to dozens of people and damage to public and private properties. 

The demonstration was part of a complete shutter down and wheel jam strike. The protest over power outages of upto 18 hours a day was called by a citizens’ action forum of the lakeside city in southern Azad Kashmir.

The protesters initially assembled at Chowk-i-Shaheedan, where a number of leaders delivered fiery speeches, accusing the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) of discriminating against the people of Mirpur “by subjecting them to unscheduled and non-stop loadshedding.”

Warning that they could not tolerate such a treatment, they demanded that their district should be exempted from loadshedding.

The protesters then started a march on the Mangla Road to express indignation outside the Mangla powerhouse, located some 14 kilometres away from the town centre.

However, they came across barricades, erected by the administration, near Sukhiyan village and as they tried to move beyond the obstacles they had to face the wrath of police who after being pelted with stones resorted to use of teargas and baton charge. 

Resultantly, several persons from both sides were injured. Police alleged that the demonstrators also torched a Water and Power Develo-pment Authority vehicle at the scene. 

A group of protesters, which succeeded in making it to the other side of the barrier, was however stopped and pushed back by strong police contingents, amid intense tear gas shelling and baton charge as they moved closer to the powerhouse. 

Back in Mirpur, the angry protestors continued to play hide and seek with the police during which they also torched cables and some other stock in an electricity department’s complaint office as well as an education department vehicle. 

Mirpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tayyab said the demonstrators had breached an understanding with the administration that they would not go beyond a certain point. 

“The police were compelled to resort to use of tear gas shelling and a mild baton charge to prevent them from nearing the sensitive installation,” he said, referring to the powerhouse. 

He said talks would be held with Wapda to reduce the duration of loadshedding. 

Earlier in the day, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider also took serious stock of unscheduled and prolonged loadshedding in Mirpur, and asked the central government and Wapda to exempt the residents of Mirpur from power outages in view of the great sacrifices rendered by them for progress and prosperity of Pakistan.(Source www,dawn.com)