Power riots break out in several Punjab cities; police go brutal

Pakistan

Power riots break out in several Punjab cities; police go brutal

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Riots have started in several Punjab cities against prolonged loadshedding.

24 March,2012 08:24 pm

GT Road in Gujranwala became a battlefield as riots broke out over load-shedding.Protests have also been resported from Faisalabad and Lahore and other cities.Gujranwala Police in riot gear used batons and tear gas to disperse thousands of locals protesting against load-shedding, which is virtually round the clock.Gujranwala has been in severe grip of load-shedding, forcing irked residents to come to the streets. Some areas have been facing load-shedding for over 16 hours a day.The protesters blocked the main GT Road to alert the authorities about the grievous situation facing them at the start of the summer.They burnt tyres and pelted stones on vehicles.Heavy contingent of police launched an operation to clear the main thoroughway.Police teargassed the protestors and fired shots in the air. Several arrests have been made.In Faisalabad, powerlooms workers blocked the Jhang Road by burning tyres and demanded immediate supply of electricity to the looms so tat they could start going back to jobs and earn livelihood.In Lahore, angry residents blocked Bund Road and threatened that they would lay siege to the Wapda offices if the electricity situation wasn’t improved.