SUKKUR, May 3 Irked by hours-long unscheduled power loadshedding, hundreds of people took to the streets here on Sunday, burnt tyres, broke into a Hesco office and damaged furniture and fixtures.

A large number of residents of Military Road, Adam Shah Colony, Workshop road and others, took to the streets. Shouting slogans against Hesco, they marched on the main roads of the city and reached at workshop road, where they staged a demonstration in front of Hesco office.

The emotionally-charged protestors broke into Hesco office and threw furniture and fixture. Later, they burnt tyres at workshop road, Military road and Adam Shah Colony and blocked the roads.

They told journalists that with the advent of sizzling summer, Hesco has started hours long undeclared loadshedding, due to which normal life in the city has been paralysed. They said that, neither “we can work properly in the day, nor can we sleep in the nights, due to undeclared loadshedding.

They said that like other parts of Sindh, annual examinations of HSC-I and II are under way throughout Sukkur division and the candidates have to brave hours of long load shedding during examination hours, while they are deprived of sound sleep in the night because Hesco was also carrying out loadshedding during the midnights.

Criticizing elected representatives of the city, the protestors said that they were busy in political wheeling-dealing, while nothing was done for the welfare of people. They said that people had attached high hopes to the PPP government, which has given nothing except miseries to the poor people and now the people have been deprived of right of a sound sleep in the night, because in this sizzling heat, no one can sleep without electricity.

They warned of strong reaction if the Hesco didn't stop unscheduled loadshedding especially in the midnights.

Meanwhile, a meeting of small traders condemned Hesco for resorting to hours long undeclared loadshedding, issuing inflated bills and low voltage.

The participants said that despite many meetings with the Hesco high-ups in this regard, nothing positive emerged and the people of Sukkur and its allied areas have been made to brave hours of undeclared load shedding, especially in the middle of nights. They said that besides load shedding, Hesco was issuing average and inflated bills to the consumers, thus adding to their miseries.

They maintained that with the advent of summer, very low voltage is being experienced during peak hours, while undeclared shutdowns and tripping was on the rise.