Scores of individuals on Sunday took to the streets in the coastal city of Gwadar to protest against the pestering loadshedding enveloping a major area of the city in darkness. The agitated protestors blocked the main Gwadar highway in protest, demanding that the authorities pay heed to their appeals.
According to reports, the Zahoor Shah Hashmi Ward – a locality in Gwadar – has been canopied in darkness for a week. The transformer in the area malfunctioned a few days ago and has not been repaired since. Pestered by the sweltering summer days and the mosquito-infested nights, the residents of the area took to the streets to bring the issue to the authorities’ attention. They blocked the main highway in Gwadar in protest, thus suspending all forms of traffic.
Addressing the gathering, the protestors said that the government’s boasts of a developing Gwadar are a charade. Behind the veil, the locals’ lives are being made difficult. They said that the old settlements in the city are plagued by a lack of electricity and clean drinking water.
The local sources have said that the protestors also went to the MPA Gwadar Hammal Kalmati for negotiations. He told the protestors that the transformer has been repaired and will be installed on Monday morning.
The protestors told Kalmati that the “threatening behaviour” of the WAPDA (Water And Power Development Authority) are also a major issue for the locals. The MPA assured that he will summon the WAPDA officials and address them on the issue.
Kalmati then appealed to the protestors to end their protest and reopen the highway. After much assurance, the protest was ended and the people went back to their homes, waiting for the morning and the arrival of the much-awaited electricity in the Zahoor Shah Hashmi Ward.