Power Ploys: 1 killed, 18 injured in protest against power cuts

MIANWALI:

One person was killed and 18 others were injured as demonstrators protested against power cuts on Monday. The protesters clashed with police and five policemen were also injured in the proceedings.

Hundreds of local residents, including traders gathered at Railway Station Chowk on the call of traders unions and Tahrik Haqooq-i-Mianwali to protest power outages on Monday. The protesters demanded that the Mianwali district, which generates electricity, should be exempt from load shedding. The protestors marched towards Jahaz Chowk where a number of local leaders addressed the crowd. After the speeches a group of protestors decided to march towards Chashma Colony, on which police officials tried to stop the protestors from blocking the main roads. According to the police, the protestors started pelting stones at the cops.

The police then resorted with baton-charging and tear gas shelling at the crowd on Sargodha Morr. One man, identified as Mohammad Asif, died while at least 18 persons including five policemen were injured in the protests.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2011.