A large number of protestors were present on Ferozepur Road near Ichra and Rehman Pura and tyres are being burnt on different spots.
Traffic police blocked the road for traffic from Shama Chowk but those who were stuck in the protest are finding it difficult in making their way through as the protestors are not letting people pass.
Heavy contingents of police were present on the spot but did not do anything to disperse the mob which turned violent and started breaking traffic signals.
“We have no choice but to protest against long power outages. The president had promised to end this loadshedding within 48 hours but no change has come in the loadshedding schedule,” said Muhammad Idrees, a protestor.
A large number of protestors comprised of youth who were holding sticks in their hands and not letting any commuters pass the road.
The majority of shopkeepers on Ferozepur Road closed down their shops and the petrol pumps were not selling fuel to the commuters.
“In this situation, anything can turn ugly and people even torch patrol pumps on such occasions. That’s why we have temporarily suspended the fuel supply,” said a manager at a petrol pump on Ferozepur Road.
“We don’t have orders to use any force against the protestors. We are just here to keep an eye on them,” replied a police constable when asked why the police were not doing anything to disperse the protestors.
Ferozepur Road is one of the main arteries in Lahore and a major business center. Most of the shops on Ferozepur Road are of ceramics, sanitary fittings, carpets, curtains and jewelry.
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There is no shortage of electricity, problem is stealing of electricity which Govt call line losses and impossible to control in present system
If masses come out, Goverment and Military (G&M) will be scared and they will act. Just like in Arab Springs. If G&M, this problem can be solved. But they need good motivation: Fix this problem or else we will oust you.
@Babloo: The issue under discussion is load-shedding in Pakistan...Did you have anything valuable to say about the issue itself?
@Imran: It's unfair to blame the PPP for the energy crisis alone since the nation had 9 years of dictatorship under General Musharraf when no improvement was made to the energy grid at all.
Parity is attained not given as alms. Pakistan leaders do not tire pleading for parity with India, everywhere they go. They hate India but want parity with it at the same time. Its like a student who appears for a exam and demands parity with the student who comes first. Your own conduct s a state , will determine if you will be treated by the rest of the worlkd like India, better than India or be treated like a Somalia. Is that too difficult to understand ? If anything demand parity with Saudi Arabia.
A complete shutter down strike for 3 days will reduce load shedding for a week and bring respite to businesses and traders.
Rome is burning and Nero is....busy seeking civil nuclear technology
Block this road, please do not come to Ferozpur as this town has no electricity.
@ Pakistan politics, there is Shama Chowk in Ichhra. Its first crossing on Ferozepur Road when we enter Ichhra. Kalma Chowk is further down. Thanks
I find it interesting to see that on one hand PMLN is passively patronizing these protests and on the other hand Ittefaq foundaries (owned by Sharif family) are the fourth largest electricity defaulter as of news yesterday. Is there a better definition for hypocrisy?
@Ata: they are doing what their bosses asked them to do... dirty politics by Mians,
Is this a surprise that these riots (officially sponsored) are happening only in the central Punjab, and under the full protection of police contingents? Any Suo Motto?
The way these PML-N politicians lie with a flat face, and create rifts between the people of their own province in the name of caste, ethnicity, and religion sickens me. This won't win you elections Nawaz & Shahbaz. You can huff, you can puff, but Imran is taking over.
What these fine young lads fail to understand is that destroying government property won't do them any good or government any harm. They are the ones who are eventually going to end up paying taxes for this property to be restructured. This would mean that the money that was supposed to go against fixing the electricity problems would now go for new office equipment. Understanding how utterly frustrating the lack of electricity is, I sympathize with these people. But at the same time, this isn't the way to sort things out.
This isn't how any nation with slightest ray of hope to excel behaves. It breaks my heart to realize this fact but the truth of the matter is that we do not deserve to be treated as a civilization. Simply because we have lost the sight of what civil means. No politician, government or godly intervention can change our condition until we ourselves decide to be civil.
@Imran: "This is a duty of government to provide electricity to people."
And what is your duty Kid? Just praying as you mentioned in your post? Or cheating in exams? Or destroying public property at the whims of a Chief Minister for the sake of his politics?
There is no point in blocking the roads to protest as the govt pays no attention to it protester should think about others who are in state of emergency. . . by the way protester should take there riot to the governor house and show the govt there anger for them and stop supporting political parties who only know how to talk big and do nothing in the end they all stand in order to secure their own future not for the country sake.
I still remember there was a row of protests last year young doctors protested for their rights...... teachers protested for their rights........ nurses followed them....... clerks had a sit-in on maal road....... let alone small protests like for load-shedding, increased wheat/flour prices, fuel prices, electricity prices, gas shortage...... but alas no protest ever for Pakistan
as for these riots or protests give them electricity they would go home, eat a lot drink "lassi" and sleep "at least it is good that they do not drink beer otherwise they won't even wake up for next protest"
Today the campus road of Punjab University was also blocked for hours not for load-shedding but for the laptops that the evening shift students didn't receive. . .
@Fatima Riz: what do u expect from people living such a miserable life? ET make correction its Kalma chowk not Shama chowk
Still wondering what is the connection between load shedding and such riots?:/ We are one big stupid nation.
ET make correction: Its Kalma Chowk not Shama Chowk
Errr, same people brought PPP in government? On a side note, electricity, as we see it, was invented in1861 and 1862. I wonder how were people alive back then?
what a nice way to protest, destroying government and public property by launching protest. i heard some paid people are doing this and PMLN is sponsoring this show.