KARACHI: Frustrated by frequent and prolonged loadshedding and increase in electricity tariff, angry consumers of the K-Electric on Friday held protests at the main and other offices of the power utility.

A large number of residents of Hijrat Colony, Sultanabad and other adjoining areas gathered at the KE’s main office on the Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road and chanted slogans against the utility for resorting to prolonged loadshedding throughout the day and even in the night-time.

Traffic remained clogged for hours as the protesters blocked the Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road near Shaheen Complex.

However, a KE spokesman said that the period of loadshedding in Hijrat Colony and adjacent areas was as per the schedule of June 30. “In the current situation, shortfall is maintained for 24 hours, and loadshedding is still mandatory,” he claimed.

Kamran Khokhar, a resident of Hijrat Colony, said that the power utility was carrying out prolonged loadshedding in the locality despite several protests. “We are now tired of taking to streets as there seems to be no use of protest,” he added.

A resident of Sultanabad, Arshad Khan, said that power supply remained disrupted throughout day and night with intervals in additional to the announced loadshedding schedule of the KE for the locality. “The power supply is disconnected anytime, though there is no local fault,” he added.

Later, the protestors dispersed after KE officials held negotiations with them assuring that unannounced loadshedding was not being carried out in their respective localities.

Like the ongoing loadshedding, the protests against the KE has also become a routine feature as the offices of the power utility are being surrounded in many parts of the city, but to no avail as there has been no respite in power outages.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2022