LAHORE, KARACHI/GUJRANWALA, QUETTA, PESHAWAR: Despite violent protests in different cities of Punjab, load-shedding went unabated, multiplying miseries of the masses already facing dengue epidemic which has so far claimed more than 165 lives in the province.
While people took to the streets in large numbers once again on Tuesday and staged violent demonstrations against prolonged load shedding in many cities of Punjab and in Karachi, the opposition benches staged a boycott in the National Assembly.
Thousands angry protestors, related to different segments of society, were seem holding banners and black flags and chanting full-throated slogans against the complete suspension of electricity to the area.
In Lahore despite of the protests of the angry masses against the unannounced load shedding the load shedding is still continues and people protested against the power outages in different areas of the city.
In Gujranwala all markets remained closed due to the traders’ strike. The protestors said they had electricity for only four hours a day. The traders also threatened to not to pay bills if power shutdown continues. Meanwhile the protesters tried to stop the passenger train but the police foiled the effort. Protesters pelted stones on the police and police thrown shells of tear gas and baton charged the angry protesters.
The protesters damaged the installations of WAPDA and broke the widow panes of vehicles.
In Multan, Jhang, Chiniot, Sialkot, Bhawalpur, Sargodha and Vihari are experiencing 12 to 16 hours of outages.
Gujranwala-Sialkot road was blocked when protestors burnt tyres and staged demonstration there.
Faisalabad was the third worst-hit district where a complete strike was observed where all markets remained closed.
In Qusur city, angry mob burn tyres on Lahore-Dayalpur road causing stern traffic jam.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata at least 14 hours of load shedding is being observed, leading to water shortage in several areas. An angry mob set ablaze WAPDA office in Charsadda; meanwhile in khayber bazaar hundreds of protesters staged demonstration against the unannounced and prolonged load shedding.
Rice mills in districts Jafferabad and Naseerabad of Balochistan were shut due to unavailability of electricity forcing mass unemployment.
Hyderabd, Jamshoro, Kotri including many small cities of Sindh are without electricity.
Meanwhile demonstrations were also staged in a number of localities in Karachi and in different towns of interior Sindh.