Karachi residents protest blackout, block roads, trigger citywide traffic chaos
Residents of a 10-storey residential building blocked a major artery near Punjab Chowrangi to protest more than 24 hours of uninterrupted electricity suspension. The building's 80 flats had reportedly been without power since 11 am on Friday. Despite repeated complaints, K-Electric, the city's sole power distributor, allegedly failed to respond, pushing desperate residents to the streets.
The sit-in brought life to a standstill on Defence Road and surrounding areas, with traffic clogging for hours. Long queues of goods trailers and tankers, critical to Karachi Port operations, were seen stalled from Qayyumabad to the KPT Flyover. Thousands of commuters were left stranded as major junctions such as Boat Basin, Gizri, and Hino Chowrangi became gridlocked, Dawn reported.
This power crisis, which triggered the protest, reportedly began after K-Electric launched an aggressive anti-theft operation in the adjacent P&T Colony. As per Dawn News, residents claim that the entire building lost power following confrontations during the operation, in which KE staff allegedly cut off power without due process, indiscriminately affecting legal and illegal connections alike.
K-Electric dismissed the protests as the actions of "miscreants" trying to restore illegal connections. Speaking to Dawn, the KE spokesperson said that their teams were attacked while attempting to stop a large-scale power theft operation allegedly conducted under the cover of a cable TV network. However, no proof was provided that all affected residents were involved in theft.
Also read: No visa, no passport: Pakistani man lands in Jeddah instead of Karachi after boarding wrong flight
While KE claimed to have restored power to parts of the area following assurances from local leaders and law enforcement, the bigger issue remains Pakistan's inability to provide stable and equitable electricity access to its citizens. The state's persistent failure to upgrade infrastructure and ensure transparency in power distribution leaves millions vulnerable, Dawn reported.
This incident is not an isolated failure; it is symptomatic of a broader collapse of governance, where Pakistan's institutions continue to punish ordinary citizens for the state's systemic dysfunction.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
35 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Indian government open to Pakistan participation in global sports events
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has reaffirmed India's unwavering position on sporting relations with Pakistan, drawing a clear line between international tournaments and bilateral engagements. Speaking to media ahead of key upcoming events, the minister stressed that India has no issue competing against Pakistan in multi-nation events, but bilateral series are off the table due to long-standing geopolitical tensions. Global tournaments are fine, bilateral matches are not Mandaviya clarified that India will continue to face Pakistan in international competitions, where multiple countries participate. 'When it comes to global events, India is open to playing all nations, including Pakistan,' he said. However, he made it equally clear that bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan remain suspended. 'The government's position is well known, we do not support bilateral sports events with a country that promotes terrorism,' Mandaviya stated, underlining that national security remains the priority. India is set to host two major hockey events, the Asia Cup 2025 and the Junior Hockey World Cup, and Pakistan's participation has drawn attention. Mandaviya confirmed that India will issue visas to Pakistani teams for these multi-nation tournaments, should their government approve travel. 'We've told Pakistan that we have no objection to their participation and will issue visas. It is now up to their government to decide whether they want to send their teams,' he explained. The Hockey Asia Cup is scheduled from August 27 to September 7 in Rajgir, Bihar, serving as a qualifier for the 2026 Hockey World Cup in Amsterdam. The Junior World Cup is also set to take place in India later this year. India maintains open stance for multilateral events Mandaviya's remarks reaffirm India's consistent approach of supporting international sporting collaboration, but only within a multilateral context. While Indian athletes will share the field with Pakistani counterparts in global events, no standalone bilateral series are on the horizon until substantial changes occur in the geopolitical climate.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Pakistan to ban Shias from travelling solo to Iraq
Pakistan is set to ban solo travel by persecuted Shia Muslims to Iraq for religious pilgrimages, starting January 1, 2026. The move, announced by Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, came after meetings with his counterparts from Iran and Iraq. Thousands of Pakistani Shia travel annually to Iraq and Iran for religious pilgrimages, with many overstaying their the new policy specifically targets solo travel to Iraq, the move is likely to impact a significant number of pilgrims who visit Iraq's holy sites, which drew 21.5 million visitors annually in 2024, including many who first complete their pilgrimage in Iran before continuing onward to Iraq has a significant chunk of Shias in its population, Iran is a Shia powerhouse. In Sunni-majority Pakistan, Shias face sectarian discrimination and violence. The Shias of debt-ridden Pakistan are the world's second-largest Shia community after that of Iran, comprising only 10-15 percent of the Islamic Republic's population, but face significant challenges including sectarian violence, discrimination, and political disenfranchisement. Some also flee because of lack of economic opportunities or fragile security TRAVEL MANDATORY FOR PAK SHIA PILGRIMS HEADING TO IRAQThe policy shift would mandate that Pakistani Shia pilgrims, referred to as "zaireen", travel to Iraq only under the supervision of registered group organisers, reported Riyadh-based daily, Arab News."From January 1, 2026, we will not be allowing any Pakistani to leave for Iraq without the zaireen [pilgrims] group organiser, which means that we will register people who will be allowed to take the groups to Iraq," Naqvi said."The new group-based travel system aims to curb illegal entries and extended stays," Naqvi added, revealing that Iraq and Iran have fully endorsed the new organisers of the tours will now be responsible for ensuring all pilgrims return, addressing concerns about illegal those granted special visas by the Iraqi embassy will be exempt from this requirement, reported the Karachi-based PAK PILGRIMS TAKE UP ILLEGAL WORK, STAY BEYOND VISA TERMS IN IRAQThe decision to bar Shia Muslims from travelling to Iraq alone stems from Pakistan's efforts to address the issue of pilgrims overstaying their visas in Iraq, which has at times strained diplomatic relations and affected Pakistan's reputation."The people who are overstaying there, the people who have started working there, we need to stop this," Naqvi said, calling for cooperation from Iran and Iraq to enforce the new of Pakistani Shia Muslims travel annually to Iraq and Iran to visit sacred sites, such as those in Najaf and Karbala, particularly during the 40-day-long pilgrims reportedly remain in Iraq illegally and refrain from going back. Some take up unauthorised work and keep living ABUSE BY PAKISTANIS ON RISE, EVEN AIRLINE CREW DISAPPEARED IN CANADAadvertisementIllegal migration from debt-ridden Pakistan is not confined to economically distressed neighbours or culturally close countries like Iraq and Iran, but extends even to affluent nations such as Saudi Arabia, a traditional destination for Pakistani migrants, has repeatedly raised alarms over Pakistani nationals overstaying visas and engaging in unauthorised activities, including begging. In December 2024, Saudi Arabia deported 4,700 Pakistani beggars in one April 2025, Saudi Arabia imposed a temporary visa ban on 14 countries, including Pakistan, to curb unauthorised Hajj participation and overstays. In May, Saudi Arabia deported 5,033 Pakistani beggars, reported the Pakistani English daily, issue of illegal migration out of Pakistan extends beyond the Middle East. Even in countries like Canada, Pakistani nationals, including seemingly well-placed individuals, have been involved in visa violations. In 2024, several Pakistani airline crew members disappeared after arriving in move follows repeated concerns from Iraq, Iran, and other host countries like Saudi Arabia, where Pakistani nationals have entered on valid visas but overstayed and engaged in unauthorised economic activities.- Ends
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Pakistani books Lahore to Karachi ticket, reaches via deportation from Saudi
When the Pakistani man landed in Jeddah, Saudi immigration detained him due to the missing passport, but later deported him back to Lahore once the mix-up was sorted out. read more A Pakistani man, who was supposed to fly from Lahore to Karachi, ended up in Jeddah after mistakenly boarding the wrong plane, sparking major concerns about airline procedures and airport security, reported Gulf News. On July 8, Malik Shahzain Ahmed was travelling with Air Sial, a private carrier, when he boarded a flight at Lahore Airport. However, he didn't realise that the plane was headed to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Two hours into the flight, he noticed something was off when it became clear the plane was going international. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I asked myself, 'This plane doesn't seem to be landing soon.' That's when I realised I had boarded the wrong plane,' Ahmed said in a video statement released following the incident. Shockingly, he had boarded without a passport—a basic requirement for such travel. When he landed in Jeddah, Saudi immigration detained him due to the missing passport, but later deported him back to Lahore once the mix-up was sorted out. To make matters worse, Ahmed claimed Air Sial refused to cover his travel to Karachi, insisting he buy a new ticket despite their mistake. Pakistani authorities hold Air Sial accountable The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) confirmed the incident and held Air Sial responsible. PAA spokesperson Saifullah told Gulf News that a report was sent to the Civil Aviation Authority, pushing for a hefty fine on the airline for the blunder. How Ahmed slipped through immigration at Lahore without a passport remains unexplained, raising serious questions about security checks. Critics are calling it a 'systemic failure.' The PAA promised to tighten security and verification processes to avoid such incidents in the future. Many see this as a glaring example of negligence that could've led to bigger diplomatic or legal issues if Saudi authorities hadn't handled it smoothly. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
