LAHORE, July 29: Up to 2,000 people from Kala Shah Kaku and adjacent areas encircled the Shamkay Grid Station on GT Road, and burnt a police vehicle during a protest against prolonged power outages on Sunday.

The protesters, including a few women and children, pelted policemen with stones and chanted anti-government and Wapda slogans.They blocked GT Road and set tyres on fire, which resulted in traffic gridlock for four hours.

Police reportedly resorted to baton-charge when protesters broke into the grid station.

A Sheikhupura police officer told Dawn that the protesters holing sticks and stones besieged the grid station at 11am.

He said as the Rana Town police check-post in charge arrived at the scene with his subordinates, protesters manhandled them.

The officer said the protesters burnt the vehicle.

He said police officers managed to negotiate with the protesters after four hours and disperse them.

He said residents of Kala Shah Kaku and adjoining areas had been witnessing up to 18 hours load-shedding a day.

SAHIWAL: Hundreds of protesters blocked Lahore–Multan Motorway near Qadirabad 7 section for five hours to protest loadshedding. Police convinced them to open the road. Protesters said they had been suffering 20 hours a day loadshedding for the last three days.

Villagers from chak 64/5-L and 65/5-L started the demo on motorway at 10:30am. Women and children also took part in the protest. Villagers from chak 65/5-L arrived on a tractor with trolley. During the blockade, they did not let pass even a single vehicle from either side. They lifted blockade at 3pm.

MULTAN: Troubled by prolonged power outages, scores of protesters on Sunday ransacked the Mepco office.

They gathered at Chowk Daulat Gate and started a demonstration against hours long loadshedding. Then they entered the office of Mepco sub-division at Pak Gate, brought out furniture, electricity meters and a water collar at the chowk and burnt it.

They were dispersed after Harram Gate DSP Saad Ali negotiated with them.

SSP (operations) Gohar Nafees said action would be taken against the protesters as per law.Tailors also protested against loadshedding on Abdali Road.

SIALKOT: Scores of people spent their day off on roads protesting power outages in Sialkot, Daska and Sambrial.