Hundreds demonstrate against power cuts

FAISALABAD:

Hundreds of protestors on Wednesday staged a demonstration against power cuts at Jaranwala Road and pelted stones on vehicles. The protestors gathered at Jaranwala-Faisalabad Road and blocked traffic for hours. The demonstrators burned tyres and impeded the movement of commuters.

Kareem Bux, one of the protestors, said that the public had voted the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz into office to remedy the energy shortage.

Bux said that despite being in power for over a year, the government had failed to overcome the crisis. He said that the situation was taking a turn for the worse with each passing day. “Long hours of load shedding have made life miserable in rural areas,” Bux said. He said that long hours of load shedding coupled with scorching temperatures had brought daily life to a standstill.

Naseeran Mai, another demonstrator, said that despite the claims of the government and the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company, power cuts had routinely taken place in her locality during sehri and iftar.

The protestors chanted slogans against the government and the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company. The situation was brought under control after a police team from Saddar managed to placate the demonstrators. Police assured the protestors that their concerns would be brought into the notice of higher authorities and promised to amicably resolve the issue. The protest was then called off. The road was opened for traffic after four hours.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2014.