Protests paralyse several areas of city on second day

People irked by water, power supply cuts come out with families, block roads

KARACHI:

The metropolitan city witnessed widespread protests and severe traffic jams on Sunday as people took to the streets over prolonged power outages and water shortage.

After similar protests on Saturday, the demonstrations, together with rampant encroachments and illegal parking, led to gridlocks in several neighbourhoods of the city, leaving commuters stranded for hours.

The most affected areas included University Road, Abul Hasan Isfahani Road, Rashid Minhaz Road, Guru Mandir, Patel Para, Hassan Square, Liaquatabad, Gharibabad, and PIB Colony. Long queues of vehicles stretched along major routes, exacerbating the city's traffic woes.

In Nafisabad, residents staged a protest for the second consecutive day, closing the road from Teen Hatti to Jail Chowrangi. Elderly residents, children, and women joined the demonstrations, expressing their frustration over the three-day-long power outage, which has also disrupted the water supply.

Protesters criticised K-Electric for its handling of bill defaulters, asking why paying consumers were being punished alongside those who failed to clear their dues.

"There is no water even for ablution in mosques. Why are the authorities turning a blind eye?" lamented a resident. Despite assurances from police that high-ups had taken notice and promised to restore electricity, protesters dismissed these statements as empty promises. The protesters demanded immediate intervention from officials to resolve the crisis, warning of more unrest if their grievances were not addressed.

The protests aggravated an already dire traffic situation across the metropolis. Major arteries, including Abul Hasan Isfahani Road, Rashid Minhaz Road, University Road, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Hassan Square, and Sir Shah Suleman Road, saw severe congestion from as early as 3pm on Sunday.