Residents block Karachi's Jehangir Road in protest over water, power shortages

Commuters travelling from Teen Hatti were provided an alternate route via PIB Colony.

Residents of Karachi's Jahangir Road staged a protest today over prolonged water and electricity outages, leading to significant traffic disruptions in the area.

According to traffic police, both lanes of Jahangir Road were closed to traffic due to the demonstration.

The protest affected traffic flow on routes from Guru Mandir to Teen Hatti, causing delays and diversions. Police redirected traffic from Numaish towards Guru Mandir, Lasbela, and Jamshed Road to manage congestion.

Commuters traveling from Teen Hatti were provided an alternate route via PIB Colony.

Traffic police confirmed that officers were stationed at the site to assist and manage the situation.

All factions of the Battagram Trade Union have declared a complete shutter-down strike and sit-in starting Tuesday, in protest against the ongoing and severe power outages in the district.

The union has also announced that they will withhold electricity bill payments until the power supply schedule is normalised.

For the past week, the city has been facing an extreme and unusual load-shedding, with electricity being cut off during the day and only restored in the evening when markets are closed, causing significant economic disruption.

Tailors, welders, and other small businesses have been severely affected, leading to a virtual standstill in the city's commercial activity. According to the WAPDA department, this action was taken following a High Court order related to an alleged incident involving the assault of a female prisoner at the Battagram sub-jail.

However, the Trade Union has dismissed this reasoning as "ridiculous," arguing that the city's daytime power supply is being cut solely to ensure continuous electricity at night for the operation of CCTV cameras in the sub-jail.

They claim that this decision is tantamount to "economic murder" of the local traders, as many have been unable to work for over a week.