Gas load shedding: 300 protesters block road for four hours

FAISALABAD:

Some 300 residents of Allama Iqbal Colony gathered on the Samundri-Faisalabad Road on Thursday to protest against continuous gas load shedding in the area.

The protesters blocked the road by burning tyres and wood. Some held cooking utensils in their hands, while others wore dried bread around their necks. Traffic remained suspended for more than four hours.

They shouted slogans against the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and demanded that supply of gas be resumed to the colony with immediate effect.

Children also joined the protest and lay on the roads with their elders.



Nida Kanwal, an eight-year-old, said her father had brought home some wood to burn as fuel. Confused about what she should say, Kanwal said her mother had been serving her and her siblings poorly cooked bread for breakfast for a few weeks. “When we ask for parathas, she gets angry and says that will make us late for school,” she said.

Saeed Naveed, another protester, said he and his father had been having breakfast at a nearby restaurant on their way to school. “He probably takes some home back for mom, too,” he added.

Shama Raheel, a mother of three, said apart from cooking problems caused by gas outages, people could not use gas heaters to keep their houses warm.

She said several complaints sent to the SNGPL authorities had been futile.

The protesters said they would attack SNGPL offices if gas supply to their area was not resumed within 24 hours.

They dispersed after police arrived and requested them to return to their homes. They said they would contact the officials concerned regarding their complaint.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2013.