Citizens protest against unannounced load-shedding in Karachi

KARACHI: The Karachi Electric Supply Company continued to irk masses with unannounced spells of load shedding for long hours in different parts of the metropolis.

Residents of Karachi’s Garden area today (Tuesday) staged a protest against unannounced load-shedding in front of the K-Electric Garden office. Angry protesters pelted stones at the office after the outrage escalated. The protesters blocked the main road in the Garden.

Residents of the area along with traders demanded of the government to end the frequent power outages which have made it difficult to run daily domestic affairs and businesses.

Besides the long duration of power failure, citizens also complained of bearing low voltage and fluctuation in their respective areas. “We are facing prolong unannounced load-shedding up to 15 hours daily,” the protestors informed.

They blamed that the KE was looting the electricity consumers of Karachi by purchasing electricity from the national grid on cheap rates and selling it to the people of Karachi on higher rates.

The residents further said that the federal government was also not taking any action in this regard despite making claims. “The K-Electric is also not following the orders of Supreme Court of Pakistan,” they added.

Meanwhile, several other areas of the port city, including, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, New Karachi, Lyari, Site, Baldia, Defense and Clifton were badly hit by power outages.

Earlier, Federal Minister Asad Umar assured that K-Electric will not carry out unannounced load-shedding onwards because the government has decided to increase the supplies of furnace oil and gas to the power utility.