President calls emergency meeting on energy crisis

President calls meeting as several protests against loadshedding erupt across the country.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has called an emergency meeting on the ongoing energy crisis in the country, Express News reported on Thursday.

Officials from the Ministry of Water and Power, Ministry of Petroleum and the Finance ministry have been called to attend the meeting.

According to the presidential spokesperson, the meeting will be held on Thursday night, during which some important decisions will be taken.

Several violent protests have been staged across the country against prolonged loadshedding in various areas of the country.

Protesters set on fire the Wapda complex, offices of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leader Tehmina Daultana in Vehari on Thursday, and also attacked the DPO office. While in Faisalabad, protesters forced shops to shut down and thrashed shop-owners.

People in Wazirabad have also complained that industries in the city have shut down due to loadshedding, resulting in several problems for them.

MQM on energy crisis

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain demanded that the ongoing energy crisis in the country be addressed on an emergency basis.

Hussain, in a statement released from London, demanded President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to provide the nation relief from electricity loadshedding.

He added that the nation is suffering due to loadshedding and the businesses are also being severely affected.