Thousands of residents of Besham, district Shangla took Karakorum Highway to protest the lack of provision of electricity from Khan Khwar power projects and closure of power supply from the electricity feeder.
The angry protesters blocked the Karakorum Highway for all kind of vehicular traffic for three hours and threatened the besieging of the local office of WAPDA and Khan Khwar Power House. For evolving future line of action, the protestors also summoned a meeting of the local elders. The non-provision of supply from 72 MW power generating Khan Khwar projects to Besham and its adjacent localities and unannounced long power load shedding from Besham-II feeder has angered the local population. The protestors were led by Sherin Zada Khan, Master Hameed-ur-Rehman, Mukhtiar Ahmad Lala, Mohammad Hamayun Khan, Syed Akram Shah, Kifayatullah Kohistani, Ejaz Ahmad Kamal, Rahim Shah Bacha, Syed Wasi Shah Lala, Gul Dad Khan, Jehan Faraz Agah and other marched from Main Chowk to Tehsil Office and turned into a public meeting at Hospital Chowk. Addressing the protestors the speakers said that the people of the area had sacrificed their agriculture farms, hydel mills and generators for 72 MW power Khan Khwar project, which earn an amount of Rs 1.40 billion per month for the country. However, they said that the power generated from the project is used for lightening of the palaces of Islamabad and Lahore while the locals have been deprived of the facility irrespective of the constitutional guarantee in this regard.
They also condemned 22-22 hour long and unscheduled power load shedding on Besham-II Feeder, which playing havoc with the business of the residents and official duties in government offices had also come to standstill. The protestors while severely criticising Minister of State, Abid Sher Ali said that he is hatching conspiracy for creating rift between Pakhtuns and Punjabis and threatening and abusive language on their own land against them, which intolerable. They demanded provision of electricity from Khan Khwar power projects to Besham and its adjacent areas with immediate effect. Otherwise, they will close down the power house to stop power generation and responsibility of any untoward incident will rest with government and WAPDA.