Country wide protests against power outages

Country wide protests against power outages

A number of cities witnessed violent protests when power outages stretching up to 22 hours forced people to take to the street. In some cities, including Lahore, demonstrations were led by PML-N leaders and supporters.

In Lahore, up to 18 hours of load shedding was reported in most parts of the city due to closure of 15 out of 39 grid stations posing serious problems for citizens on one of the hottest days of the ongoing summer. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz held a
protest procession at Nila Gunbad where central leaders of the party criticised the PPP government for its failure to control power crisis and “discriminating against Punjab” with regard to power supply.

On the other hand, in Chichawatni, protesters set ablaze two police stations, Mepco’s offices, vehicles and motorcycles and attacked the residence and election office of a PPP MNA. In Khanewal, protesters ransacked Mepco offices, residences and factories
owned by politicians, damaged vehicles and clashed
with police.

There were massive protests in Gujranwala where enraged people blocked the Railway Line, GT Road, set ablaze tyres and smashed windows of a bus and an ambulance. The protesters also did not allow a PML-N MNA to take part in their rally. In Toba Tek Singh,
protesters blocked the rail track for about two hours. In Kamalia, people pelted private vehicles with stones and blocked the Kamalia-Chichawatni Road for two hours. In Faisalabad, dozens of people pelted police with stones on Samundri Road during a demonstration
against power outages. Police used teargas to disperse them.

The protesters blocked Samundri Road, Jaranwala Road, Sargodha Road, Sheikhupura Road and Satiana Road for more than four hours. They also burnt tyres and pelted vehicles, shops and grid stations with stones. They were chanting slogans against the government.
They were also carrying placards and banners. The protesters asked the federal government to quit if it could not end power crisis in the country. They alleged that the loadshedding was increasing day by day due to the mismanagement and dishonesty of the government.
They said that eight grid stations of Faisalabad remained closed for 12 hours.

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Posted by Rabiya Maqbool on Jun 18 2012. Filed under Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry