Karachi: Protesters block Mauripur Road against rampant power outages

KARACHI: Protests erupted in the port city after prolonged power outages in several lower and middle class districts of the spiralling metropolis, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Citizens protesting for last 13 hours with a sit-in at the Mauripur road of Karachi against rampant load-shedding by the power utility in their areas.

The protest has blocked the traffic on both tracks of the road also resulting in long queues of vehicles at Jinnah Bridge and the Native Jetty in the strategic port area of the city. Long lines of vehicular traffic as well as cargo trailers witnessed at adjoining M.T. Khan road and Mai Kalachi road from Boat Basin to Punjab Chowrangi.

The police has blocked the Lyari Expressway for traffic at Garden Interchange to Mauripur road.

Heavy contingents of police and rangers deployed at the Mauripur road. The police asked protesters to end their protest immediately. They resorted to baton charge at protesters sitting on the road demanding the end of inhuman power outages in this searing hot weather.

There were reports that the administration officials have called the K-electric officials at protest for likely talks with the representatives of protesters, sources said.

Citizens took to the streets to protest against unscheduled and prolonged load-shedding in different areas of Karachi.

Several areas facing the worst power outages including Lyari, Hijrat Colony, Sultanabad, Nazimabad, Gulistan-e-Johar and other localities.

Earlier, electricity consumers of Hijrat Colony and Sultanabad blocked PIDC bridge and MT Khan Road to protest against the prolonged load-shedding.

The protesters raised slogans against the government and K-electric, the sole power provider of the metropolis.