Riots in Pakistan over power outage
Afp, Karachi
Hundreds of people protesting against power cuts ransacked a KFC outlet and two banks in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, police said yesterday. Police fired tear gas to disperse the mob late Wednesday and security remained tight across the sprawling port city, whose 12 million inhabitants are experiencing the worst electricity shortage in memory. "The situation really went bad after the attack on KFC and on public and private vehicles. Security has now been tightened and forces have been deployed at sensitive places," city police chief Azhar Farooqi told AFP. He said more than a dozen people had been arrested. The protesters began by hurling stones and using burning tyres to block the main road leading to the airport in eastern Karachi, resulting in a massive traffic jam, witnesses said.
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A Pakistani policeman fire teargas shells towards protestors during a protest against regular power cuts in Karachi on Wednesday night. Pakistan's worst electricity shortage in memory has sent rioters onto the streets of several cities and poses a fresh headache for embattled President Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO: AFP |
