Citizens Protest Over Severe Loadshedding Amid Heatwave

Many citizens across various parts of the country took to the streets to protest the severe loadshedding during extreme temperatures and the ongoing heatwave. Protests have been reported in numerous cities, including Karachi and Peshawar, as people struggle with long power outages.

Karachi Protests

In Karachi, residents of Golimar protested for more than two hours, blocking roads and causing severe traffic jams.

Sit-In Staged at Grid Station in Khyber District

In Khyber district’s Landi Kotal, citizens stormed a grid station, staging a sit-in to demand an end to load shedding that has lasted for more than 20 hours in the area.

Protests in Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan

In Chilas, Gilgit-Baltistan, protests against unannounced loadshedding were held at several locations, and traders observed a shutter-down strike. In Balochistan’s Naseerabad area, citizens protested against 12-hour power outages, blocking the highway and burning tires in Usta Muhammad.

Loadshedding Affects Multan and Sindh Students

In Multan, power suppliers are conducting loadshedding for four to eight hours. Students taking intermediate exams in nine districts of Sindh also faced power cuts at their exam centers, with Matiari district experiencing 12–18 hours of outages.

Extreme Heat and Power Power Outage in Karachi

Karachi recorded a maximum temperature of 41.5℃, and many areas experienced an electricity outage for up to 10 hours. This development comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities to minimize ongoing loadshedding through better load management, considering public relief in the scorching weather.

Government Responds

The Prime Minister, in a meeting on load management and power theft, reiterated the government’s commitment to dealing strictly with power thieves and taking the mission against them to its logical end.

K-Electric Issues Statement

Karachi’s sole power supplier, Karachi-Electric, stated that it cannot ensure constant electricity provision if citizens do not pay their bills. However, it is pertinent to mention that if even if citizens pay their bills and belong to an area with other multiple defaulters and line losses, they will have to bear the brunt of loadshedding for almost 14-16 hours.

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