MULTAN City News

Demos against gas loadshedding in Multan
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: People staged demonstrations against gas loadshedding and low pressure here on Wednesday.
PPP workers led by party south Punjab acting general secretary Dr Javed Siddique staged a demonstration in Mumtazabad and blocked a road to register their protest. They were chanting slogans against the gas loadshedding and low pressure. They were also carrying placards and banners. They warned of staging a demonstration outside the SNGPL Headquarters if gas supply was not restored. They said that the government had issued a schedule for gas loadshedding but the SNGPL was allegedly not following it. Speaking on the occasion, PPP south Punjab general secretary Dr Javed Siddique said that the unscheduled gas loadshedding had made the lives of the people miserable. He said that the gas loadshedding was forcing the children to go to their schools without breakfast. He said that the situation had increased the demand of LPG cylinders and firewood, which were not available in the district.
Meanwhile, dozens of people, including women, staged a demonstration at Chowk Shaheedan. A woman said: “My husband quarrels with me when I am unable to prepare breakfast due to gas loadshedding.” Naseeruddin, another demonstrator, said that residents of Railway Road, Chowk Shaheedan, Sadiq Colony and Haram Gate were facing the worst gas shutdown. The protesters said that they had been without gas for the last three days, adding that hundreds of complaints had been made to the SNGPL but to no avail. They urged the chief minister to look into the matter and order restoration of gas to solve their problems.
WOMEN HARASSMENT ACT WELCOMED: The Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry has welcomed the Women Harassment Act, terming it a good step of the provincial government.
Talking to newsmen here on Wednesday, MCCI president Mian Iqbal Hassan said that the government was taking all-out measures for providing representation to women in all sectors of life and job opportunities to them free of harassment. He said that there was no dearth of talented women in south Punjab and if they should be provided job opportunities free from harassment, they could play an important role in the national development. He said that 15 per cent job quota had been fixed for empowering women and providing representation to them in every field of life, which was a clear proof of the fact that the government was endeavouring for their betterment. He said that the government had also launched various schemes for the welfare of women so that they could earn their livelihood honourably.