KARACHI, Aug 10: Agitating residents of Model Colony, on Sunday, lit bonfire and pelted the vehicles with stones in protest against the prolonged power failures for the last three to five days.

Angry protesters burnt tyres on roads and chanted slogans against the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) for failing to provide uninterrupted power supply to the area.

Police reached the spot and tried to disperse the people, who also pelted the police with stones. The police resorted to teargas shelling and baton-charged the protesters to disperse them.

The police picked up the UC Nazim Pervez Ahmed Siddiqui and took him to Model Colony police station. The people later surrounded the police station and chanted slogans against the police. They demanded the release of UC Nazim Pervez Ahmed Siddiqui.

Rangers also reached the area to control the law and order situation.

It was learnt that City Nazim Naimatullah Khan also visited the area. Later, the police released the UC Nazim.

A spokesman for the KESC, however, denied that power breakdowns had been occurring for the last five days. “It was only on Sunday that a main cable fault occurred, which resulted in a prolonged power breakdown. The repair work was delayed because of some technical reason,” he said.

“At least 80 per cent of the area had been normalized by 8pm and the remaining 20 per cent would also get electricity by 10pm,” he explained.