Trains torched, damaged in Jhang and Faisalabad:violent protests against power outage

[Naveed Yaseen]

MAQBOOL BUKHARI & KHALID ABBAS SAIF
MULTAN (July 22 2009): Protest demonstrations and rallies were held in various cities and towns of the Punjab against 12 to 18 hours electricity load shedding in different parts of the province. Enraged protesters set on fire a passenger train in Jhang and badly damaged another in Faisalabad where a number of vehicles were also pelted with stones.

Divisional Superintendent Railways Multan, Khalid Amin Chaudhry said hundreds of protesters asked the passengers of Sargodha bound 139-up Sandhal express to get off the train and later they set its three bogies on fire. The protesters also blocked the railway tracks by putting hurdles.

DPO Jhang, Salman Chaudhry said, "Police resorted to aerial firing and baton charge to disperse enraged people who blocked the Jhang-Faisalabad road by staging sit-in and burning tyres. Protesters also threw stones on banks, government offices, Wapda installations and set a number of buildings on fire." Traders and other citizens were protesting against power load shedding and increase in prices of petroleum products in most of the cities of Punjab where all types of businesses and routine life stood still.

In Sargodha, traders and other citizens torched tyres during protests and blocked the road. Hundreds of people attacked the office of executive engineer of the power utility. A partial transport strike was also observed during which commuters faced great difficulties.

In Chiniot, police baton charged and fired in the air to stop protesters from going to grid station. Participants of a rally in Hujrashah Muqeem attacked the Wapda office and set office record and equipment on fire, Police said.

In Arifwala, traders took out rallies and set ablaze tyres. The protesters were raising slogans against the government and the Wapda. A complete shutter down strike against load shedding was observed in Sheikhupura where rallies were taken out, while shops and trade centres remained closed in Chichawatni. In Mandi Ahmedabad, a protest rally was taken out and participants of the rally raised slogans against the Wapda.

In Faisalabad, a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike was observed throughout the Faisalabad division on Tuesday to protest against prolonged and unannounced electricity load shedding and price hike. The strike call was jointly given by Anjuman-e-Tajiraan Pakistan, Transporters Associations and Textile organisations.

A large number of industrial workers also observed complete strike to protest against loss of their jobs due to 20-hour long power load shedding and took out rallies at various places in the city. Two passenger trains Karakoram and Pakistan express were halted near Toba Tek Singh by the protestors. Super Express, which was going from Faisalabad, was stopped at Sargodha.

At various places six offices of Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco), and two petrol pumps were ransacked by enraged protestors. Police arrested more than one hundred persons and resorted to baton charge, fired teargas shells and resorted to aerial firing to disperse mobs. During the clashes between police and protestors, eight policemen and 18 protesters were injured.

In Faisalabad, all shopping and commercial centres including Faisalabad yarn and cloth markets remained closed, while roads wore a deserted look. Protestors attacked a police station in Dee Type Colony. The police resorted to baton charge, aerial firing and fired teargas shells to disperse them. During the clash, six persons including two police constables were injured.

Meanwhile, Khuwaja Shahid Razzaq Sikka, President, Mehmood Alam Jatt, General Secretary, Anjuman-e-Tajiraan City Faisalabad, Mian Abdul Mannan, former MNA, Mirza Muhammad Shafique, Chairman, Sizing Industries Association, Waheed Khaliq Ramey and other trade leaders addressed a protest meeting at Clock Tower Chowk. They said unscheduled load shedding of electricity was causing negative impact on business activities and had ruined textile industry.

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