KARACHI, June 6: Residents of Baghdadi and Shah Beg Lane union councils on Friday took to the streets against prolonged power failures and acute water shortage in their areas.

The protesters, including women and children, blocked the main artery of the locality by erecting barricades on the route. The protest started with a sit-in near the Ali Hotel intersection after Friday prayers resulting in the suspension of vehicular traffic on Shah Latif Bhittai Road, one of the key commercial routes linking Lyari Town to Saddar, Keamari and Site towns.

Surprisingly, no police personnel was seen anywhere near the protest demonstration to control any untoward incident. The situation encouraged a number of youths who started pelting the passing vehicles with stones.

Parts of UC Baghdadi have been facing water shortage for many days.