Punjab boils under prolonged power cuts

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

Lahore—Disturbed by long hours of loadshedding, people took to streets to protest against the apathy of the government.

Angry people staged protest at Naseerabad and also blocked Ferozepur road. They burnt spare tyres and chanted slogans against the government. In a scuffle with the police, a DSP and four police cops sustained injuries. Police resorted to baton charge to disperse the protestors.

After remaining out of powers at all the hours, people went berserk to stage mass protests crying anti-government slogans, burning tyres, blocking roads, sitting in, and whatnot.

Life has become hell, a protestor Nadeem told reporters. He was too angry to stop himself from crying doom to a government, which he believed was good as nothing. He used harsh and strong words against the government.

In other parts of Punjab, there was similar protest. In Gunranwala, powerless sufferers over there gave their ire a vent by burning tyres on the GT Road.

Faisalabad has too been boiling with the same sentiments. This Manchester of Pakistan is a victim of 14-18-hr loadshedding and as a result its once fabled textile industry has become a vegetable deep in the rot. In Chichawatni people besieged a grid station but to no avail, as it didn’t earn them what they were protesting to have.

In export-industry-hub, Sialkot load shedding-beaten traders observed complete shutter down strike on the appeal of Markazi Anjuman Tajran Sialkot in protest against 20-hour long daily power outages in Sialkot.

The traders, who kept their shops shuttered down, staged a big demonstration at Allama Iqbal Chowk against the prolonged power outage. The traders wore black arm bandages carrying agitational banners and placards.

The protesting traders also burnt tyres on roads and kept the traffic blocked on various inter-city roads for an hour. They also warned to besiege all the Gepco offices.

Several areas of Faisalabad were without power the entire Saturday night prompting frustrated residents to protest on Sunday morning. Business activities were severely affected. Sargodha faced 16 hour long outage.

Loadshedding of 10-12 hours is also taking place in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Rahim yar Khan and Liaqatpur.

The situation was not different in Sindh. In Karachi business activity came to a halt with businessmen giving ten-day ultimatum to ensure uninterrupted supply of power failing which all business and industrial units will be closed down. In Hyderabad up to 10 hours of loadshedding is being experienced. Nawabshah, Larkana, Ghotki and other areas of interior Sindh are without power for 12-16 hours daily.

Areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa such as Swat, Shangal, Upper and Lower Dir are also facing severe power outages of up to 18 hours while a similar situation is being experienced in the tribal areas. There is also no respite for residents of Balochistan where loadshedding has also disrupted daily life. At least 16 hours of loadshedding is taking place in several parts of the province.