August 27, 2008	Wednesday	Sha'aban 24, 1429

OKARA, Aug 26: Unbridled loadshedding provoked massive outburst of public sentiments against the electricity companies on Tuesday as the citizens converging in thousands at the city railway station clashed with police after resorting to violence.

Protests were held in many other parts of the province also in reaction to enhanced loadshedding duration.

The protest in Okara took an ugly turn when a large number of people, prominent among them traders, occupied the main track at the city railway station, stopping the Lahore-bound Quetta Express for three hours.

The mob broke the glass panels of the train engine and bogies. It is learnt that a railway police constable, Mansha, slapped a student and harassed him by aiming pistol at him which provoked the protesters to pelt the officials with stones. As a result, DSP (city circle) Younis Butt and constable Tauqeer suffered minor injuries.

The police resorted to tear-gas shelling to disperse the protesters, which also affected several houses in the vicinity.

Meanwhile, the city railway station authorities are learnt to have moved for registration of a case against the people for damaging the engine and its bogies.

Later, the representatives of city traders, including Anjuma-i-Tajran President Malik Muhammad Ashraf, called on DIG Chaudhry Tanveer and DPO Ihsan Sadiq to register their protest.

According to DSP (railways) Malik Muhammad Attique, the railway police registered a case against 2,000 unidentified protesters at its police station.

Earlier, the traders observed a complete shutter-down strike and blocked various roads to traffic by placing burnt tyres.

TOBA TEK SINGH: Hundreds of citizens staged a rally and marched through various roads of Awami Basti, Sarhand Basti and Bakhshi Park, protesting against loadshedding.

Among the protesters were former municipal committee vice-chairman Mian Muhammad Shahid and a former councillor, Chaudhry Ghulam Rasool Choonaywala, who condemned the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company officials for observing ‘18-hour loadshedding’ daily.

They said there was no relief even during prayer timings, and it was also creating water woes.

They warned Fesco authorities of more protests if the loadshedding timings were not followed.

BAHAWALPUR: The Multan Electric Power Company which provides electricity to many districts, including Bahawalpur, has not lagged behind in enhancing loadshedding hours at will.

People have been facing a great deal of inconvenience as, they say, the authorities have been switching off power for 14 to 16 hours daily.

The business community, industrial concerns and agriculturists are particularly facing a tough time and as are the correspondents of national dailies who find it difficult to send their dispatches to their media organisations.

Mepco officials told Dawn that the Load Management Board, Islamabad, had rescheduled the power cutoff timings and they were not to be blamed.