Protest outside KE office causes gridlock on II Chundrigar Road

A huge protest led by the Karachi Printing Press Association (KPPA) disrupted traffic on Tuesday afternoon as demonstrators held a sit-in outside the K-Electric office near II Chundrigar Road, causing a massive traffic jam in the area and its surroundings. Commuters were left stranded for hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The protest rally began at Pakistan Chowk at around 3pm. It was led by KPPA Chairman Aurangzeb, and Traders Rights of Karachi and Jama Alliance Markets Association Chairman Shaikh Muhammad Irshad. It included a significant number of individuals associated with printing presses in and around the area.

Holding Pakistan’s flags and shouting slogans against unscheduled power outages, the demonstrators marched toward the KE office near the Shaheen Complex. According to the protesters, they have been suffering from continuous load-shedding for the past six months, severely affecting their businesses and causing hardships for workers amid intense heat. One of the protestors, Ibrahim Jamshed, shared that this is not the first time they approached KE’s office to voice their concerns. He claimed that they have been repeatedly denied access, with the gates being shut each time.

As a result, he pointed out, the demonstrators felt compelled to block the road to make their voices heard. The protesters demanded an immediate end to load-shedding to protect their livelihoods and economic stability.

They also appealed to the Sindh government, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority and other relevant authorities to take immediate notice and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply in the affected areas.

The protest prompted the deployment of a significant number of law enforcement personnel, who eventually engaged with the demonstrators and peacefully dispersed the sit-in after over two and a half hours of negotiations after KE officials assured them of their full cooperation.