FAISALABAD - Known as textile hub of the country, the city once again on Thursday witnessed two dozen protest demonstrations against the prolonged power loadshedding.
The demonstrators went on rampage on several places and during their bid to force the closure of shops, allegedly invited gunfire from the shopkeepers.
A man was killed and another critically injured when they turned violent and ransacked several shops as security guard deputed at the local agency of an international beverage company" police said.
According to details, factory workers, flanked citizens took out a rally in Ghulam Muhammadabad, Rashidabad and Dichkot areas against the loadshedding that prompted the industrialist to shut their business, leaving thousands of labourers without job.
The demonstrators wrangled with the shopkeepers after hot exchange of words when they asked the latter to close their business. Finally police came in and forced the shopkeepers to close their markets.
During another protest rally the protesters damaged the building of a local bank and later entered the central city office of PPP located on Kotwali Road where they ransacked the furniture.
The protesters also staged a sit-in outside Fesco Headquarters on Canal Road for more than two hours and blocked the road for all kind of traffic.
They pelted stones on the building of Fesco Headquarter and broke the cabins of the security guards.
The protesters broke the cabin of traffic wardens across the city. They also broke the fence erected on road divider at Narwala square. The mob blocked Jail Road by throwing electricity poles on the road. Meanwhile, the police arrested many protestors while the protesters also pelted stones on police vehicles. Nevertheless the protest continued in entire city all the day and majority of the city roads were seen blocked for traffic.
It is to be noted that industrialists and traders of Faisalabad have announced staging sit-ins outside the offices and houses of members national and provincial assemblies after June 5 if prolonged electricity loadshedding was not controlled. They have also threatened to call a shutter-down strike