Lahore: Police, power protesters clash

[Naveed Yaseen]

A PROTEST demonstration by hundreds of people from Garhi Shahu and surrounding areas of Begumpura outside the provincial education minister’s residence against long-hour loadshedding turned violent as protestors brawled with police and damaged vehicles.

The protesting mob blocked the GT Road and set fire to tyres. They chanted slogans against the government and the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), calling for an immediate end to power outages.

“We were already plagued by routine load shedding but now they have extended loadshedding hours. It is impossible to survive in this heat without electricity,” complained an angry protestor. Meanwhile, police arrived at the scene and tried to contain the protest demonstration which triggered a brutal clash between police and protestors.

Police baton-charged protestors who in a reaction to the police baton charge scuffled with police personnel and damaged busses. They smashed windows of buses, hurling stones at police, busses and public property.

Many sustained serious injuries in the scuffle due to the baton charge. Some police personnel also got hurt as angry mob charged the police force which was trying to control protestors and open the GT Road for traffic.

Numerous protest demonstrations were also held across the provincial metropolis including the Cooper Road and Samanabad. Masses chanted slogans against unscheduled and long hour loadshedding in front of the sub divisional LESCO offices.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=188981