KARACHI: With summers still on in Karachi, the people are suffering greatly from blackouts that occur without any prior notice, thus prompting protests in several areas of the city.
Many parts of the city including Shaheen Complex, Punjab Chowrangi, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Orangi Town, and some portions of Abu al-Hasan Isfahani Road have been suffering from load-shedding from night till Monday early morning and sometimes in the middle of the night which was already a big problem.
People burnt tires and choked the roads leading to traffic jams, especially for the commuter transport motorists businessmen, and the rest of the society.
Protests were especially pitched in Railway Colony, and demonstrators congregated near Shaheen Complex to express their outrage at the unpredictable power shedding. Protesters focused on the devastating effects on life as people struggled to provide for their basic needs, especially women, children, and the elderly.
They complained of getting high electricity bills after suffering constant power outages, largely protesting the penalties inflicted on entire neighborhoods for the transgressions of a few rowdy residents.
In Punjab Chowrangi also people continued to protest which led to the blockage of a major road affecting residents as well as passers-by. This has been compounded by frequent power rationing and frequent power outages that have worsened the lives of inhabitants of Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, and Orangi Town.
In a bid to express how desperate they are the inhabitants of the area near Abbas Town on Abu al-Hasan Isfahani Road engaged in burning tires and blocking traffic to drive home the message that they wanted an immediate solution to the problem which is causing them hardships due to power failures.
As the situation persists, they are calling for prompt intervention by the Sindh government and the Governor in particular to address the power fallout and suffering of the people.
The community remains adamant about holding protests if tangible actions are not taken immediately to tackle the electricity issues Karachi is facing at the moment.
