Women block road in Karak to protest gas, power load shedding

KARAK: The women on Tuesday blocked the Indus Highway at Tangorisar Chowk to protest prolonged power and gas loadshedding in the district.

The stick-wielding women belonging to Karak city marched to Indus Highway and blocked the main artery for six hours.

The protesters claimed that the dwellers of the district were facing the worst kind of power and gas load shedding and there was acute shortage of potable water in the district.

“The gas is not available even for cooking. We have no option but to use firewood, which is also not easily available,” said one of the protesters.

They complained that they had brought the issue into the notice of the quarters concerned time and again but to no avail.

They lamented that the gas had been explored in the district but the local people were being deprived of the facility.

A long queue of vehicles was seen on both sides of the highway due to closure of the main artery and the passengers from Karachi to Peshawar suffered a lot in the hot weather.

The angry women also smashed the windscreens of several vehicles which tried to cross the blockades.

Meanwhile, the local elders, led by Muddasir Ayub, Sajjad Usman and others, met with Deputy Commissioner Tanveerur Rehman. He assured the elders that gas pressure would be improved in parts of Karak city and work on the ongoing gas provision project would be expedited. After successful negotiation, the protesters opened the Indus Highway for traffic.