LAHORE: A labourer was killed while another seriously injured on Monday when the security guards of a filling station opened fire on people who allegedly tried to set fire to the facility during a protest against power outages.

Earlier, the protesters had blocked the GT Road by burning tyres, banners and hoarding after forcing traders to shut down their businesses.

The agitators also damaged billboards and windowpanes of several shops after their owners refused to shutter their shops.

A heavy contingent of police was on stand-by, but did not intervene.

Traders and residents of localities around Laxmi Chowk held a demonstration at the intersection, holding up traffic for four hours on adjoining roads.

The residents of Allama Iqbal Town, Sabzazar, Saidpur and other localities converged on Multan Road and erected roadblocks by burning used tyres.

Traffic remained suspended on the road which links Karachi with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

FAISALABAD: As violent protests against outages and inflated power bills continued here on Monday, all trade and industrial associations announced a wheel-jam strike for Tuesday.

The decision was taken at a meeting of exporters, industrialists and traders at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday.

The Faisalabad-based parliamentarians belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-N came out with support for the decision, declaring a resolve to take part in anti-government rallies and demonstrations.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited the city on Monday and held talks with representatives of the business community.

Mr Shahbaz endorsed the call for protests, but at the same time advised people to remain calm and avoid damaging public and private properties.

Later in the day, angry powerloom workers besieged Fesco headquarters on Samundri Road.

The protesters smashed windowpanes of a waiting room adjacent to the chief executive’s office, removed the name plate of the Fesco chief and damaged some other offices.

Fesco officials locked their offices to avoid further damage and left the headquarters.

Samundri Road was blocked by agitators for more than four hours.

Shutdown also took place in towns like Kasur, Okara, Toba Tek Singh and Bahawalnagar that are being tormented by loadshedding, which in many cases stretches to 18 hours.