Residents of Pasni staged a city-wide shutter-down strike on Monday to protest against prolonged power outages. Shops, markets, and financial institutions were closed, while a group of women surrounded the QESCO office in anger.
The situation escalated when the SDO QESCO and a staff member allegedly assaulted and injured the women protesters. Following the incident, the police and administration refused to register an FIR against the SDO, prompting residents to block the Makuran Coastal Highway.
The blockade severed Makuran’s road connection with Karachi, causing long queues of vehicles on both sides and leaving hundreds of travelers stranded.
Meanwhile, spokesperson for QESCO Pasni issued a statement, claiming that during the protest, all QESCO staff were outside the office premises following consultations with the administration and were not present within the office compound.
Protesters expressed frustration with QESCO officials’ behavior and warned that if the electricity supply to Pasni is not restored, they would intensify their protest, holding QESCO and the local administration responsible.