The intense wave of power protest roared across the country again on Sunday as demonstrations against power outages were held in several parts of the country, including financial capital Karachi.
The power crisis has worsened in Karachi, where residents of Chakra Goth staged a protest against long and unscheduled power load shedding. Violent protesters set a vehicle on fire and hurled stones at passing vehicles. As heavy contingent of police later arrived at the scene and dispersed the angry citizens.
Protesters in other parts of Karachi also set ablaze several vehicles and ransacked a KESC office. In Korangi, electricity supply has not been restored for the last one week. Agitated, residents took to streets on Sunday and burnt a truck. Protesting people in Liaqatabad burnt a truck and a rickshaw and also clashed with police. In Sialkot, traders observed a complete strike as a protest against unending power outages was held in the city. The Markazi Anjuman Tajraan Sialkot had given the strike call.
Special Assistant to Punjab CM Mansha Ullah Butt, Markazi Anjuman Tajraan Sialkot President Mehar Ghulam Mujtaba and General Secretary Haji Ehsanul Butt led the protest. The protesting traders chanted anti-government and anti-power outages slogans.
They warned of launching a civil disobedience movement in Sialkot against the unscheduled load shedding. They asked GEPCO officials to reduce the duration power outages in the export-centric city Meanwhile, Federal Minister for National Regulation and Services Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the PPP government had found an amicable solution to the persisting energy crisis with the active consultations with the provinces, adding that the federal government had decided to promote and encourage the maximum use of solar energy in the country.
She said time was ripe to focus on alternative sources of energy to pull the country out of the crisis.
“After presenting a successful and balanced budget, the government has now found a solution to the prolonged perturbing energy crisis,” she added.
