LAHORE/KARACHI – Protest demonstrations and rallies were held Tuesday across the country against continuous loadshedding and price-hike.
Angry mobs attacked trains, ransacked government offices and other buildings. Traders shut down their businesses paralysing the normal life while one protester was killed during a demonstration in Faisalabad.
In most Punjab cities all types of businesses remained closed to protest against loadshedding.
In Faisalabad, a 45-year-old man was killed when a stone hit him during a protest. Some 47 people received multiple injuries during clashes between people and police in different forceful protests. The angry mob burnt tyres on different roads, pelted stones on moving vehicles, Wapda offices and at police stations.
In Sargodha, traders and citizens torched tyres during protests and blocked the road. Hundreds of people attacked the office of Executive Engineer WAPDA. A partial transport strike was also observed during which passengers and citizens faced great difficulties.
In Jhang, protesters threw stones, stopped a train and set on fire its four bogies. Another train was attacked in Okara.
In Chiniot, police baton-charged and fired in air to stop protesters from going to grid station.
Protesters blocked Sargodha-Faisalabad Road by torching tyres. Participants of a rally in Hujra Shahmuqeem attacked the WAPDA office and set office record and equipment on fire.
In Arifwala, traders took out rallies and set tyres on fire. Protesters were raising slogans against the government and the WAPDA. Complete shutterdown strike 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 raised slogans against the WAPDA.
Complete shutterdown was also observed in Kasur, Hafizabad, Gaggu Mandi, Pasrur, Chunian, Nurpur Thal, Pindi Bhattian and rallies were taken out.
Traders and shopkeepers observed shutdown strike on the call of businessmen bodies and also staged strong protest demos against the worst-ever loadshedding, increase in electricity tariff and raise in oil prices.
Angry protesters pelted police with stones while the police wielded to batons to keep things under control in various parts of the province.
A good number of protesters sustained injuries during the clashes, which erupted between the police and the angry mob in the Punjab, police sources said, adding that police have detained dozens of protesters for damaging public property and creating law and order situation.
In Lahore, police badly baton-charged the women protesters in Islampura area, which triggered clashes between public and the police. However, the top cops suspended the SHO concerned to cool down the angry mob.
Protesters also stopped Pak-India Dosti Bus in Baghbanpura area during protests and smashed the windowpanes of other private vehicles.
Heavy police contingents including senior officers rushed to the spot and managed to provide alternative route to the Dosti bus.
Most of the traders and shopkeepers observed complete shutterdown strike in Lahore while according to reports, complete and partial shutterdown was also witnessed in all the big cities and districts of the province.
In Lahore, the traders and shopkeepers closed down their businesses and took to streets to protest against the worst power outages and increase in fuel and electricity tariff.
Clashes also witnessed in different parts of the City between the pro-strike and anti-strike traders, as they confronted each other at the Mall Road and Liberty Market.
However, heavy police contingents reached the spot and managed to disperse the protesters.
Interestingly, people hard hit by loadshedding from different walks of life supported the strike and urged the masses to took to the streets to force the govt to end power outages and withdraw steep increase in the fuel and electricity prices.
According to reports, traders also observed strike in other big cities of the Punjab including Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Okara, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Vehari, Burewala, Bahawalpur, and staged protest demos against loadshedding.
‘The complete shutter down strike is an eye-opener for the govt. The govt should immediately take concrete steps to overcome energy crisis or step down’, Rashid Khan, one of the protesters commented while talking to The Nation at The Mall.
The traders also took out protest rallies against the worst loadshedding at the Mall Road, Kot Lakhpat and GT Road Bhagbanpura.
The protesters also blocked the roads by setting the tyres on fire in different parts of the City and chanted slogans against the PPP-led govt and WAPDA.
Mostly all the leading commercial markets, business centres and shopping malls situated in different parts of the City were closed down.
However, few shops were opened at the Mall Road, Main Boulevard Gulberg, and Liberty market as some traders groups opposed the strike call and opened their business.
The protesters in several areas of the LESCO region including Dharampura, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Multan Road, Hujra Shah Muqim and Kasur attacked the LESCO Sub divisional and XEN offices and thrashed the on-duty LESCO staff.
The enraged protesters consisting of mostly youth and led by the traders blocked the roads in various parts of the City by setting the tyres on fire, disrupting the traffic flow for a long time. They also set ablaze electricity bills during protests and blocked the roads besides chanting anti-govt slogans.
In Jhang, the irresponsible attitude of FESCO officials led the protesters to burn and destroy public and private properties. They also attacked a train and burnt its four bogies.
Hundreds of protesters carrying batons and iron-rods gathered at Ayub Chowk to agitate against the federal government and FESCO. They blocked the roads for hours and later enraged groups stormed into various parts of the city and damaged the government and private properties.
In Karachi, enraged people continued their demonstrations on third consecutive day against unabated power outages, disturbing routine life in several areas.
The power supply remained suspended in many areas including some parts of Lyari, Chakiwara and Baghdadi.
Enraged residents of Lyari took out a rally and marched towards the CM House to record their protest. However, the rally was dispersed at PIDC House, when police baton charged the protestors, besides tear-gassing them.
Other disturbed areas included Malir City, Liaquatabad, Shahra-e-Faisal, DHA, Gulsha-e-Iqbal, where the people took to the streets against prolonged and unannounced load shedding of the KESC Hundreds of angry people from Lines Area and nearby localities staged a protest demonstration outside the Karachi Electric Supply Company head office at Abdullah Haroon Road.
They also tried to break the gate of KESC head office, but a heavy police contingent reached and restrained the protestors from ransacking the KESC assets. Many protestors after recording their protest for some hours dispersed peacefully; however, hundreds of demonstrators were still present in front of the KESC head office till the filing of this report.
In many other areas of the city, including, Quaidabad, Banares, Old Sabzi Mandi, Shara-e-Faisal, Nataha Khan Bridge, some parts of Gulistan-e-Johar, and North Karachi, the infuriated people blocked main roads and set old tyres and junk on fire. They pelted the passing vehicles with stones, breaking windscreens and windowpanes of some vehicles. A few motorists also received minor injuries.
The angry people also pelted some police mobiles with stones.
Protest demonstrations were also reported in Rawalipindi, Islamabad and several cities of Peshawar. The protesters blocked roads and burnt tyres, raising anti-govt slogans.