KHAIRPUR, March 29: A rally was taken out and a six-hour-long shutter-down strike was observed on Saturday to protest against the daily occurrence of eight-hour-long power breakdown for the past month in areas supplied by the university feeder.

The rally, which began from Panj Gulla Chowk, terminated at the office of Hesco’s SDO, city, where they staged a sit-in.

It comprised of mainly traders and shopkeepers from the Shahi Bazaar, Haideri Bazaar, Ayub Market, Wada Alam Bazaar and other affected areas.

Protesters complained that persistent power failures had affected their businesses, particularly that of the electronics goods.

They said that in case of damage to electric meters, the Hesco officials demanded heavy bribes for their replacements, and detection bills were also issued to the consumers.

Warning Hesco officials to mend their ways, the protesters threatened that if the load shedding was not stopped within the next two days, a complete shutter-down strike would be observed.

In a related development, people of the Buttero Mohalla, Shaheedabad, Abid Colony and Serai Ghanwar Khan staged a demonstration outside the local press club. They complained that the power supply remained suspended for hours on a daily basis from the Luqman feeder.

DEMONSTRATION: The Narejo tribesmen, belonging to the Kot Mir Mohammad and Ahmedpur areas in the Kingri taluka, on Friday staged a demonstration in Pir-jo-Goth.

Protesters alleged that a man, Manthar Narejo, was murdered two days ago near the Jeha Masjid in Ahmedpur.

An FIR, they said, had been lodged against eight persons of the Korai tribe, but the police have not taken any action against any of the accused.