The Pakistan People Party (PPP) on Friday staged protest demonstrations on Friday in every district of Karachi to agitate against persisting gas shortfall, joblessness, skyrocketing inflation, worsening of economic situation in the country.
The large number of people holding banners and placards in their hands chanted the slogans against PTI government and Prime Minister Imran Khan. "Go Niazi go. Muk gia tera show." Many people had brought the inflated sui gas bills that were set on fire.
In Karachi, like other districts of Pakistan, the demonstrations were held after Friday prayers on the directives of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who announced countrywide strike on the issues.
Speaking to the demonstrators at Lasbela Chowk in District East of Karachi, Sindh Information and Labour Minister, Saeed Ghani, said PPP was the only political party which was on streets against the persisting gas crisis in the country.
He said the present rulers before coming into power had promised to build five million houses as not a single home had yet been built whereas several residential units in the country had been demolished.
He said the PTI's rule in the country had caused several crises in the country. He said the prices of the essential products had become utterly unaffordable for the poor people in the country.
Saeed Ghani, who is also PPP Karachi President, said that household consumers didn't have natural gas supply for cooking food to feed their families. He told the demonstrators that people had been compelled to use woods for cooking food due to persisting natural gas crisis.
He said that reports had been doing rounds in Islamabad that the federal government could default on the payment of salaries to its employees in three months' time if the worsening of the economy continued unabated.
Without naming the MQM, Saeed Ghani said that the political party, which considered itself as the owner of Karachi was again attempting to cause ethnic conflict in Karachi so as to divert attention of the people away from the genuine public issues in the country."
He said that MQM should keep in mind that it didn't have any more the power to keep Karachi shut down.
Waqar Mehdi PPP Sindh General Secretary while addressing a big crow in front of SSGC office in Korangi said that Sindh generates 70 percent gas in Pakistan, but people living in the province are deprived of the facality. He said the present rulers had proved that they were the biggest thieves in the country as the rates of dollar, fuel, and essential products had increased manifold during the current regime.
Read More: Low gas pressure hits Rawalpindi
Imtiaz Shaikh, minister for energy participated in a protest in Malir. Addressing to the charged crowd, he said, "for last two months the families in Karachi and others districts have not properly cooked the food and are on streets agitating against PTI government policies.
Shehla Raza, Javeed Nagori and others also addressed the protesters.
Traffic jams in city
Demonstrations held in different parts of the city on Friday over non-supply of gas caused a traffic chaos.
People were stuck in traffic jams for hours due to protests that started soon after Friday prayers.
Citizens came out on the streets against gas supply outages at the Mereweather Tower, Liaquatabad No10, Qayyumabad intersection, Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE) and other areas of the city.
Traffic police officials were also present on the spot and kept sending vehicles to alternative routes.
The protesters said that gas outages have become a routine in their areas.
People protesting under the KPT Flyover on the Qayumabad intersection said they had informed the authorities concerned about the gas shortage several times, but no hearing was held, after which they were forced to take the path of protest.
The protesters said that their daily life was severely affected due to the lack of gas. Especially in the home, women face severe difficulties in carrying out household chores. “We cannot cook food due to low gas pressure,” a disgruntled man said talking to The Express Tribune at the Qayumabad intersection.
“We have to buy food from eateries, dhabas and restaurants, which increases the financial burden of household expenses,” another protestor said.
As soon as they got the information, the police officials dissolved the protesters after negotiating. Shortly after that, the traffic flow was restored.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2021.
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