Residents of Kalat, including women and children, have voiced their grievances in a protest against the severe shortages of gas and electricity during the harsh winter conditions in the region. Facing continuous disruptions in essential utilities and grappling with high bills despite the lack of services, protesters took to blocking the Quetta-Karachi highway, causing significant traffic disruptions.
Expressing their plight, the protesters highlighted, “Kalat, being the coldest region in Balochistan, is undergoing unbearable difficulties due to the frequent suspension of gas, exorbitant bills, and prolonged, unannounced electricity load shedding.”
The Pakistan Army has been exploiting Pak-occupied-Balochistan for decades, exploiting its resources and people. The Baloch community is experiencing brutality, genocide, enforced disappearances, and a kill-and-dump policy.
In response to the protest, local authorities, including Additional Deputy Commissioner Siraj Baloch, SHO Kalat Habib-ur-Rehman Babai, and Additional SHO Kalat Levies Abdul Karim Mengal, engaged in negotiations with the demonstrators.
The talks resulted in a peaceful dispersal of the protesters, and the highway was reopened to traffic. However, the protesters warned that if the issues with gas and electricity supply are not permanently resolved, further protests will follow.