KARACHI, May 19: Two bank branches and three vehicles were set on fire and vehicular traffic remained suspended for hours on Superhighway as traders at the New Sabzimandi resorted to a violent protest against a prolonged electricity breakdown in the small hours of Wednesday.

Shopkeepers and traders gathered at the Sabzimandi on Tuesday evening and staged a protest. They continued their protest inside the market as police did not allow them to proceed towards the highway.

However, people turned violent when electricity was not restored till early hours of Wednesday. They attacked the police and blocked the Superhighway. Angry protesters intercepted a truck and two cars on the main highway and set them on fire. The agitating mob also lit bonfires. They also set ablaze two bank branches in the Sabzimandi.

The police called reinforcement to handle the situation. As the police force reached there, people pelted them with stones. The police also hurled teargas shells and resorted to baton-charge to disperse the mob. The protesters then went into the Sabzimandi and their hide-and-seek with the police continued for hours.

The police removed the burnt vehicles and remains of bonfire to clear the road and allowed the vehicular traffic to move. A police officer at the Sohrab Goth police station said: "We have not arrested any one in the violence as it was against a utility service."

"We resorted to teargas shelling and lathi-charge to disperse the people as they had blocked the highway." An office-bearer of the Fruit and Vegetable Dealers' Association said that power supply to the market was cut off by the KESC two days back for non-payment. "Although there are no electricity meters, the market committee has been recovering power charges regularly", he said.

He said that traders had staged a similar protest a year ago when electricity remained suspended for seven days. Now the vegetable market is in default of a huge amount ie Rs20 million, he said, adding the protest was against the government and the market committee which comprises government functionaries.

A KESC spokesman said the traders of New Sabzimandi owed Rs20 million to the power utility, and supply had been cut off for non-payment. He said the power supply was restored on an assurance that the traders would soon clear their outstanding dues shortly. If traders fail to do so in time, electricity would again be suspended.

The KESC has issued notices to the Sindh government offices, warning them that their power supply would be disconnected after seven days, if they did not clear their dues. He said that the defaulters included the Karachi Police, IG Prison, the Sindh health department and others.