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Summary Enraged over gas cuts, hundreds of citizens clashed with police during protests in different cities.
Hundreds of protesters, charged with anger, blocked the main roads, hurled stones and clashed with police in different cities for the second day on Tuesday.In Islamabad, protestors angry at gas shortages blocked a major highway and clashed with police.Police responded by firing plastic bullets. There were no reports of serious injuries. There were also rowdy protests in other major cities. The same highway was blocked for most of Monday, when protesters torched three vehicles.CNG Association and transporters’ strike against gas load shedding and hike in gas prices has entered the third day while the transporters were observing strike which has entered the second day.The transporters, of Rawalpindi, Islamabad, gathered near Faizabad and blocked the roads. Traffic from Faizabad to Pir Wadhai and Muree Road has been blocked. Citizens are facing problems due to closure of transport and CNG.Bus stops are crowded with the passengers but the transport is unavailable. Some transporters tried to run the transport but the protesters stopped the vehicles while some protesters also attacked some vehicles with batons. The taxi drivers are charging high fares.On the other hand, CNG Association has announced a protest in front of the Parliament during the National Assembly session against increase in gas tariff and suspension of CNG.Transporters Association Multan also organized a protest rally from Vihari Road to Bahawalpur bypass. The protestors blocked the Lahore-DG Khan road by burning tires and halting busses on the road due to which traffic on the said road remained suspended for two hours.Moreover, the industrialists of Faisalabad announced to stage sit-in protest in front of Prime Minister’s Camp House in Lahore on January 7.According to Mian Aftab, Chairman Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association, two rounds of talks were held with the authorities but the issue could not be resolved.The office bearer of industrialist unions said that the industries in Punjab have been closed for indefinite time due to which the machinery worth billions is turning into scrap.They said that the gas supply to 450 industries in Faisalabad has been suspended for last 10 days due to which 5 lakh workers have lost their jobs. They said that the protest rallies would be taken from different industrialist areas of the city on Wednesday. More than350 CNG stations in Faisalabad region have also been closed for last 6 days.Natural gas, widely used for heating, cooking and to fuel cars and buses, has been in short supply since winter began. Rolling electricity cuts are also in routine.The situation has exposed the perilous state of the countrys finances and the inability of the state to provide even basic services.
