FAISALABAD, March 27: Protests against power loadshedding continued here on Tuesday.

Traders observed a complete shutter-down strike in Faisalabad city, took out protest rallies and damaged private vehicles as well as hoardings in Kutchery Bazaar and near Jhal Khanuana Chowk.

The strike call was given by the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Anjuman-i-Tajran against the imposition of fuel adjustment charges and excessive power loadshedding.

Clock Tower Bazaar, Kutchery Bazaar, Rail Bazaar, Karkhana Bazaar, Montgomery Bazaar, Jhang Bazaar, Bhawana Bazaar, Aminpur Bazaar and Chiniot Bazaar and markets in Jaranwala Road, D-Ground, Sattiana Road and Madina Town localities remained closed throughout the day.

Stick-wielding protesters took out rallies from Samundri Road, Jhang Road, Ghulam Mohammad Abad, Faizabad, Jhal Khanuana, Chohar Majra and Khurrianwala. All rallies gathered at the District Council Chowk and then marched toward the Clock Tower. The protesters were carrying Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz flags and placards.

Although PML-N parliamentarians were part of the protest rallies, the protesters raised slogans against politicians by politicians.

Kutchery and Jhang bazaar traders put up shutters twice on seeing the protesters. An angry protester, who introduced himself as a rickshaw driver, got removed the placards featuring PML-N leaders' pictures and party flags.

Shaheen Abad, a slum near Jhal Chowk on Samundri Road, was pelted with stones by the protesters. Police deployed on various roads were told not to retaliate and convince the protesters to refrain from attacking public and private properties.

Most petrol pumps remained closed because police had told the owners to do so after protesters burnt a petrol pump in Lahore on Monday.

In Sialkot, the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other trade bodies called off the March 27 strike for restoration of power supply.

SCCI President Naeem Anwar Qureshi told newsmen at the chamber that the strike had been called off after assurances by Gepco officials about improved power supply to the industrial city.

He said the strike had been called off, not cancelled. He said Sialkot's industry was given a considerable relief from loadshedding on Tuesday.