Karachi Faces Protests Over Power Outages Amid Heatwave

Karachi, a city in Pakistan, saw massive protests due to severe electricity shortages during a heatwave. The local daily, The Express Tribune, reported that between Friday and Monday night, areas including Shaheen Complex, Punjab Chowrangi, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Orangi Town, and Abu al-Hasan Isfahani Road experienced frequent power cuts.

The prolonged outages forced residents of the Railway Colony and nearby areas out of their homes, leading to protests near Shaheen Complex. Citizens took to the streets, burning tires and blocking roads, which worsened traffic problems. Demonstrators expressed their anger over the unpredictable load shedding that has severely disrupted daily life in the city.

Despite numerous complaints, residents continued to receive high electricity bills. They claimed that even single-room accommodations were charged hefty amounts, and entire communities were penalized for the non-payment of bills by a few individuals. Protesters criticized the disparity of officials enjoying free electricity while punishing residents for delayed payments.

The community warned of further demonstrations if the Sindh government and governor do not quickly resolve the ongoing power crisis. Locals demanded an immediate end to the irregular power cuts affecting the Railway Colony and surrounding regions. In Punjab Chowrangi, protests led to major traffic jams, with heavy trucks lining the streets. The scorching heat combined with persistent outages has worsened living conditions across Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, and Orangi Town.

Near Abbas Town on Abu al-Hasan Isfahani Road, residents blocked traffic by burning tires. Earlier on June 23, residents stormed the power distributor’s customer care center on Abul Hassan Isphani Road in Karachi, forcing the employees to flee. Protesters raised slogans against the power distributor, K-Electric, and pelted stones at the customer care center, shattering windows.