Student federation in PoK protests against increased prices of electricity, wheat

MUZAFFARPUR: The National Federation of Students (NFS) organised a protest and long march at various locations in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The members of NFS had organised the protest to raise their issues of overpriced electricity and the revocation of subsidised wheat.

Zulfiqar Baig, a senior member of the NFS during the protest, stated, "We are presenting our demands of cheaper electricity and cheaper wheat. The government had previously demanded a time of one month to solve this issue, but nothing has happened yet. However, if the government is still not able to keep up its promises after the time gets over, we are ready to take adequate action." Baig further stated, "Flour these days is being sold at PKR 1600 for a bag of 20 kg. This rate has been continuing since June 2022, and we have been protesting ever since. But the rates have not been reduced by the government even today.".

"When we had last met with the authorities, it was mutually decided that subsidies would be given to the people of PoK but, my village, which is under ward 19 of PoK is still suffering. Out of the 1200 houses in my village only 250 have been given the mutually decided subsidies, it means just like my village, the majority of the people of PoK still do not receive any subsidies".

Similar to the protest organised by NSF, the people of PoK a long time have protested against the high prices of wheat and electricity, yet the situation has not improved in the area. Previously, the locals of Khaplu district in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) against rising load shedding in the region.

The protestors called out the "incompetence" of the electricity department which has failed to provide three-phase electricity. Locals had alleged that certain influential people are being given 24-hour electricity through a special line, while the general public is being subjected to 18-hour load shedding. It has become a norm to damage transformers due to dead electricity.

The electricity system in the district has been in disarray for the last two months, and the officials of the electricity department are absent from the district, as one of the protestors stated during the protest in Khaplu district.