Karachi [Pakistan] April 29 : Severe gridlock gripped key arteries of Karachi's commercial hub after residents of Railway Colony staged a protest against prolonged and unannounced power outages, reportedly stretching up to 16 hours a day.
The demonstration held on Tuesday near Shaheen Complex paralysed traffic along I.I. Chundrigar Road, Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, and surrounding areas for hours, as reported by Dawn.
According to Dawn, the protest began around midday, quickly escalating into a major disruption. Roads leading to Saddar and Pakistan Chowk became choked with vehicles, leaving commuters stranded in intense heat. Traffic queues extended for kilometres, compounding the difficulties faced by office workers, students, and patients.
Men, women, and children from Railway Colony gathered at the intersection, blocking traffic and raising slogans against K-Electric for what they described as excessive and unannounced load-shedding. Protesters demanded immediate restoration of electricity, arguing that the outages had made daily life unbearable in extreme temperatures.
Residents voiced frustration over weeks of unreliable power supply. One local complained that the outages had deprived families of sleep, disrupted water access due to non-functional pumps, and worsened conditions for the sick.
Another resident questioned why bill-paying consumers were subjected to such prolonged blackouts. Protesters described the situation as intolerable, citing spoiled food, inability to charge devices, and worsening heat conditions.
The protest also drew criticism from stranded commuters. A woman heading to a hospital in Saddar expressed concern over delays, saying lives could be at risk in such situations. Others acknowledged the right to protest but condemned road blockages that penalised the public, as highlighted by Dawn.
Police eventually intervened, negotiating with demonstrators and dispersing the crowd after about 30 minutes. However, the traffic chaos persisted for over two hours before normalcy returned. In response, K-Electric claimed that power supply to parts of Railway Colony had been cut due to non-payment of bills, adding that electricity was restored after assurances from local representatives regarding dues clearance, as reported by Dawn.