Countrywide protests against chronic load shedding continued unabated in several major cities and towns of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday, with people taking to the roads and streets to vent their anger at apathetic authorities.
Demonstrators burnt tyres, pelted stones at police and raised slogans against authorities as they blocked several major roads and highways across the country during desperate protests for electricity. The Circular Road in Peshawar was blocked early morning by thousands of people from villages in the districts suburbs. The demonstrators put barriers and torched tyres to block the road against prolonged and unannounced power outages that are now stretching over 20 hours a day in the area. A shortage of water has added to the miseries of the people as they fast in extreme humid conditions.
Despite the road being blocked for over three hours, no official came to the scene to appease the masses. The demonstrators vowed to continue their protests until the load shedding issue was addressed to their satisfaction.
In Kohat, lawyers and citizens staged a demonstration against load shedding at Peshawar Chowk. The power crisis in Punjab is getting worse by the day, evident from continued protests in Lahore and other cities and towns of Punjab. Prolonged load shedding and a subsequent water shortage forced the people to come on to the Lahore Bund Road, which was blocked by agitating citizens for hours.
A protest was staged in Gujranwala’s Alipur Chattha tehsil, while similar protests were held in Khushab and Nurpur Thal as well where protesters blocked the Jauharabad Road and voiced slogans against the government. Furniture industry workers also protested against power outages that led to the blockade of traffic on Jhang Road.
In Hafizabad, a large number of workers of power looms and factories and businessmen took out a rally in protest against prolonged power load shedding from Wani Chowk to General Bus Stand. Enraged protesters attacked and ransacked a post office injuring three employees. Residents of Peshawar’s Armar locality also took to the streets to protest, erecting hurdles near Tarnab Farm and blocking the GT Road.