Schoolgirls protest prolonged power outages

Schoolgirls from FC Area took to the streets on Tuesday to protest prolonged and unannounced power outages, staging a demonstration outside K-Electric's Liaquatabad office. The students, belonging to government schools in the area, carried placards inscribed with slogans such as "Give us electricity" and demanded uninterrupted power supply. The protesters alleged that FC Area, Punjab Colony and Christian Colony were experiencing up to 18 hours of unannounced load-shedding every day. They claimed electricity was available for only around four hours at different times during the day, while power remained suspended from 10pm to 4:30am and again from 7:30am. The students said the prolonged outages had made life difficult amid the intense heat and disrupted routine activities. They said the lack of electricity was affecting both studies and sleep, while water was also unavailable at homes and schools due to the outages. The protesters appealed to K-Electric to ensure electricity supply to consumers who were paying their bills and to end unannounced load-shedding. Responding to the protest, K-Electric officials said the recovery rate in FC Area was very low and urged residents to pay their monthly electricity bills. The power utility said it believed in ensuring round-the-clock electricity supply.