A protest and sit-in were held under the leadership of Swabi district, demanding 300 free electricity units per meter from the Tarbela Dam powerhouse for the people of the area.
Additional demands included providing electricity at Rs3 per unit for domestic use and Rs8 per unit for commercial use to the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It was stated that this would address the grievances of those affected by the Tarbela and Ghazi Barotha projects, and offer benefits to the areas along the banks of the Indus River.
The protestors, led by the district president of Da Haq Awaz, Ehsan-ul-Haq Bam Khelvi, marched to the front of the Tarbela Dam powerhouse. A large police contingent blocked the protesters by placing containers, preventing them from entering the dam’s premises.
Multiple rounds of negotiations were held with the local administration, but remained unsuccessful.
The protesters insisted that senior WAPDA officials should come to the site and assure the resolution of their demands. Later, when the demands were not met, the protesters held a sit-in at Hamlet Chowk Road and announced that the protest would continue until their demands are addressed.
Swabi is a significant contributor to Pakistan’s power generation, particularly through the Tarbela Dam, one of the largest earth-filled dams in the world. Located near Swabi, the Tarbela Dam is a key component of Pakistan’s hydropower infrastructure, generating approximately 4,888 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
It harnesses the power of the Indus River and has been instrumental in providing both electricity and water for irrigation since its completion in the 1970s.