KARACHI: While large numbers of people in the city continued to suffer over 14 hours of power outages on Wednesday, KESC workers protesting against the management accused it of attacking their rally in Hyderi with the help of 'goons' armed with automatic weapons.

The management, however, blamed the union for obstructing Karachi Electric Supply Company's functioning and claimed that it got the offices in the area opened with the help of police.

Amid the ongoing standoff between the protesting workers and the KESC management, a number of traders, shopkeepers and residents staged a protest demonstration on Zaibunnisa Street against the power utility over prolonged outages.

Shouting slogans against the government and the KESC, the protesters blocked the road and damaged windows of some public transport. The situation caused a massive traffic jam in the Saddar area.

The demonstrators accused the power utility management of 'anti-consumer crimes' and held the government equally responsible for their power woes. They said the ruling political parties were not sincere about solving the issue of loadshedding.

The Mazdoor Ittehad strongly condemned the firing on workers' rally in North Nazimabad by 'terrorists' and termed kidnapping of a few employees tragic incidents as part of a conspiracy to create anarchy in the city. They expressed sympathy with the injured employees of the KESC.

According to union activists, the attackers equipped with AK-47 rifles opened fire on the rally, wounding several workers including Gulzar Khan, Haji Mohammad Hussain and Syed Toqir Hussain.

They also alleged that Mohammad Yasin and Sharif Khan were kidnapped by the management's 'goons' and were subjected to torture. They were released after some time at a deserted place, the union activists said.

The KESC claimed it managed to open its head offices with the help of local police on Wednesday. A convoy of police vans comprising Gizri police and KESC's own police escorted the management vehicles inside the head offices.

While appreciating the police help, the KESC expressed the hope that the executive authorities and law-enforcement agencies would also provide security at all other offices and installations of the power utility to ensure smooth functioning.

The KESC said that special protection would be needed for the repair and maintenance teams that the “union miscreants” had been targeting over the past 40 days. The power utility alleged that workers were responsible for unattended faults and lack of meter reading and bill distribution.

It alleged that a number of 'union hooligans' gathered around VIBC North Nazimabad on Wednesday morning and manhandled several employees heading to work.

The “miscreants” also allegedly cut down communication links of the main IT network and stole cables, affecting the entire internet functioning of the power utility. The “miscreants” stayed around the network and pre-empted all efforts of KESC's IT division to restore the link and communication, the KESC spokesperson alleged.

All wireless circuits were down as cables were damaged. Main junction box was also removed and stolen. A patch of 1.5-kilometre fibre cable was allegedly stolen from KESC office in Nazimabad. IBC Ziauddin link was also affected after “union miscreants” stole about 500-metre patch of fibre cable.