FAISALABAD, June 16: Hundreds of people on Saturday converged on different roads in protest against excessive power outages, besieged a grid station, blocked train near Gatti and pelted it with stones.

The protest demonstrations were staged on Samundri, Jaranwala, Narawala roads, Malikpur, outside press club and Gatti. The rioters put tyres on fire and chanted slogans against the federal government.

In Gatti, dozens of people from different localities blocked Super Express for about half an hour and pelted it with stones to vent their anger against hours long unscheduled loadshedding.

Millat Express was stopped near Chak Jhmurah and Ghauri Express remained stopped at the Faisalabad Station.

Police slightly baton-charged the protesters; however, no injury was reported. Owing to police action people dispersed.

In Malikpur, people besieged a grid station and demanded smooth supply of electricity.

On Narawala Road near Jinnah Colony gates, more than 200 protesters blocked traffic for more than two hours. The police held a dialogue with rioters and pacified them.

Talking to reporters, the protesters said outages had been buffeting every segment of society and it had become impossible to make both ends meet.

MULTAN: Citizens held protest demonstrations and blocked roads in various parts of the city against the outages.

A protest rally was held by the traders of Husain Aagahi Bazaar. The protesters from various markets marched along the main market.

The traders said they would not pay electricity bills till complete end to loadshedding. They chanted slogans against the Multan Electric Power Company and the government.

Residents of various localities of 9-Kasi area gathered at Vehari Chowk and blocked Vehari Road by three hours against unscheduled loadshedding. They said they could not sleep at night owing to power loadshedding while the children and elderly people were hit hard by outages.

They said businesses were on the brink of collapse and people were unable to afford educational expenses.

Scores of residents of Bosan Road blocked the thoroughfare against unannounced loadshedding. They said excessive outages had paralysed life as they were facing a host of problems, including shortage of potable water.

They said they had been receiving inflated bills despite excessive loadshedding. Later, the protesters dispersed.

TOBA TEK SINGH: Adda Kot Khitran near Kamalia sugar mills on Saturday evening turned a battlefield during a protest demonstration against Faisalabad Electric Supply Company.

Police resorted to aerial firing, tear gas and baton charge to disperse hundreds of protesters.

Villagers from different areas gathered at Adda and blocked traffic on Rajana-Chichawatni Road. When police tried to disperse them, they also attacked them as a result two policemen were wounded. Police called reinforcements to control the mob. The protesters also damaged a number of vehicles and pelted buses and vans with stones, causing injuries to some passengers.