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Countrywide protests over power outages
LAHORE/PESHAWAR: Countrywide protests against protracted loadshedding continued unabated in several large cities and small towns, particularly those in the Punjab and Khayber Pakhtunkhaw, where the people staged protests by burning tyres, pelting stones at the police, raising slogans against the authorities and blocking the roads and highways, Geo News reported.Peshawar City Circular Road was blocked early in the morning by thousands of people gathered from three villages of Armar in the outskirt of the city. The demonstrators put barriers and torched tyres to block the road venting their anger against the prolonged unannounced power outages stretching over 20 hours in this summer biting heat. Even the water supply has also ceased due to continued loadshedding.
Heavy contingent of police remained deployed for meeting any eventuality. Despite the road being blocked for over three hours by demonstrators, none from the responsible authority came to the scene. On the other hand, demonstrators have vowed to continue their protests until the loadshedding issue was addressed to their satisfaction. In Kohat, lawyers and citizens also staged demonstration against loadshedding at Peshawar Chowk.
The situation in Punjab is getting all the more worse, as protests in Lahore and other cities/towns persisted with no relief either from the provincial or federal governments or Wapda authorities. Persistent loadshedding and thereby acute water shortage forced the people to come on the roads. Lahore Bundar Road is blocked by the agitating citizens.
In Gujranawala Tehsil Alipur Chattah a demonstration is also underway, while in Khoshab and Nurpur Thal the enraged protesters have blocked the Jauharabad Road and voiced slogans against the government. Furniture industry workers also protested power outages that led to the blockade of traffic on Jhang Road.
Courtesy www.geo.tv