Outage-stricken people, braving the scorching heat, took to the streets to vent their anger over prolonged power outages. They damaged public property, set police vans on fire and burnt tyres to block the roads. Police baton-charged the protesters and fired teargas shells to disperse them.

TOBA TEK SINGH: All bazaars and markets remained closed on the call of Anjuman-e-Tajran in Kamalia against the prolonged loadshedding, while hundreds of protesters marched towards MNA Riaz Fatyana’s house. Enraged mobs went on rampage and attacked the MNA’s house.

In retaliation, his security guards opened fire, killing a 14-year-old boy, Danish, and injuring over 34 persons, including DPO Ahsan Younis.Nine of the injured, including a private TV channel correspondent Rana Tajammal, were shifted to the DHQ Hospital at Toba Tek Singh. Four vehicles of police including the DSP’s jeep and four motorcycles were burnt, while four private vehicles and a portion of the MNA’s house were also set on fire by the protesters.

RPO Aftab Cheema and Commissioner Tahir Hussain also reached Kamalia.Police arrested MNA Riaz Fatyana and his eight guards after registering a murder case against them. Faisalabad RPO Aftab Cheema and Commissioner Tahir Hussain said in Kamalia that action would be taken against Fatyana and his guards under the law.

He said one person had died and 34 injured in riots in Kamalia out of them 17 had been admitted to Kamalia THQ and 8 in Toba DHQ hospitals while one had been referred to Allied Hospital Faisalabad in critical condition.

People also overpowered a gunman Asif and severely tortured him. He was admitted to Kamalia THQ Hospital in a critical condition. A group of protesters also attacked the house of PPP Senator Begum Beelum Hasnain, but had to flee due to heavy aerial firing from her house. Large contingents were called from all police stations of the district to control the situation.

As a result of police baton-charge, dozens of protesters received injuries while as a result of stone pelting by the people, Kamalia City SHO and DSP were also wounded.

RAWALPINDI: Protesters ransacked whatever came in their way on Benazir Bhutto Road, City Sadar Road and Iqbal Road. The situation got worse when police tried to stop them as the protesters started pelting stones on police, inviting teargas shells.

Earlier, angry businessmen of Gawalmandi, Bank Road, Mithu Khan and Kabari Market and other people burnt tyres at Mareer Chowk and marched on Benazir Bhutto Road towards Committee Chowk, pelting stones on nearby shops and buildings.

The demonstrations were led by All Pakistan Traders Association whose vice president Shahid Ghafoor Piracha announced complete shutterdown strike on June 23.

People in Dhoke Syedan, Rawal Road, Defence Housing Society (DHA) Phase-I, Dhoke Gangal, Sadiqabad, Kurri Road, Humak Town, Soan Camp, Dhoke Hassu, Bangash Colony, Sir Syed Chowk and Arya Mohallah also staged protest demonstrations.

Bank Road Traders Association President Sheikh Hafeez and General Secretary Zafar Qadri also addressed the protesters. Sh Hafeez told The News businessmen are facing a hard time because of energy crisis and the businessmen will stage a protest in front of Parliament House. Zafar Qadri said the government is not taking the issue seriously.

LAHORE: Protests against outages continued as infuriated people blocked traffic on various roads. Protestors gathered at Baidian Road, Kotha Pind, Faisal Town and Samanabad, holding placards and banners. They burnt tyres and chanted slogans against the government.

FAISALABAD: The police registered cases against 1,770 power protesters for damaging public and private properties, looting shops from Kohinoor Plaza on Jaranwala Road, ransacking a bank in Samanabad and injuring cops outside Fesco headquarters.

Former UC naib nazim Rana Khalid of the PPP threatened to commit self-immolation in front of Faisal Jewellers on Satiana Road Thursday if the government did not end unscheduled loadshedding in Faisalabad by Tuesday night.

HAFIZABAD: Police registered cases against 2,000 people on the charge of attacking Wapda offices, burning record and valuables at Vanike Tarar and Jalalpur Bhattian.

Protesters burnt Jalalpur Bhattian XEN Office, six computers, 20 rooms, a fax machine and two motorcycles.

KASUR: Kanganpur police booked 208 power protesters for damaging government’s property including a grid station and a Lesco office. Hundreds of traders staged a sit-in near the railway station in protest against the FIR. Local police, however, sealed the FIR. Eight accused were nominated in the FIR.

GUJRANWALA: The Noshera Virkan police registered a case against hundreds of people for torching a grid station. Meanwhile, the railways police registered a case against hundreds of unidentified people on charge of burning Sialkot-bound passenger train at Kamoke. Meanwhile, protests against unscheduled loadshedding continued for third consecutive day.

PAKPATTAN: Faridnagar police registered a case under sections 16-MPO, 353, 186, 337-FI, 148 and 149 against 80 power protesters. Club wielding infuriated people demonstrated at Faridnagar Chowk and took out a rally in front of Wapda office. They also burnt private furniture, broke billboards and streetlights around DCO and DPO offices and injured police SI Maqsood and driver Haq Nawaz.

KHANEWAL: On the call of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, shutdown was observed against murder of a boy and injuring of nine people by the guards of PM’s Adviser Ahmad Yar Hiraj and PML-Q MNA Hamid Yar Hiraj, the Erra chairman.

The riots started when a rally against unscheduled loadshedding reached near the residence of the Hiraj family in Civil Lines area and their guards opened fire on the protesters. According to official sources, Azhar Ali was killed while nine others were injured and taken to hospital.

The Khanewal DPO told The News that a case had been registered against eight unidentified people. He said City SHO Zulfiqar Aulakh had been suspended on the orders of Auqaf Minister Ihsanuddin Qureshi.

SIALKOT: Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Naeem Anwar Qureshi announced that industrialists and exporters would not receive their foreign payments for three days from June 25 in protest against unscheduled loadshedding.

Addressing a joint meeting of representatives of different local trade bodies, Naeem Qureshi said in the next phase of the protest, local businessmen would not pay fuel surcharges.

Speaking on the occasion, DCO Zahid Salim Gondal and DPO Afzal Kausar urged protesters to avoid damaging private and public property. Later, they took out a rally outside the SCCI building.

ARIFWALA: Eunuchs Tuesday protested against loadshedding, chanting slogans against the government and Wapda for not taking steps to resolve power crisis.

Eunuch leaders Priety Zinta and Nena Ch said they would protest in front of the National Assembly building if loadshedding was not controlled immediately. Later, they marched on various roads and presented bangles to the trade union leaders for not raising voice against loadshedding.

Agencies add: the Pak-Afghan highway was blocked at Takya in protest against power breakdown in Khyber Agency Tuesday. The demonstrators chanted slogans against the political administration and Tesco authorities. The children were standing on the main road with empty water cans to record their protest. Tribal elders Malik Abdullah Khan, Zarawar Khan and Shakir Afridi said Tesco and the administration were not taking notice of their problems.

The protesters also announced to boycott polio vaccines campaign in their respective tribes of Khyber from Sadu Khel to Wali Khel, including Sultan Khel, Niki Khel and Sheikhwal. The protesters rejected the administration’s offer to provide water tankers, arguing that it was not possible for administration to provide water tanker to every village.