More than 1000 baton wielded workers and owners of power looms on Sunday observed sit-in on the railway track on Multan-Khanewal section for four hours. Resultantly Multan Bound Musa Pak, Karachi bound Khyber mail, Multan bound Faisalabad express and Lahore bound Shah Shams express were affected and these were detained at different station.
Angry mob also burnt tyres and sleepers on the track. They staged a demonstration against the 12 to 16 hours long duration of power load shedding, which caused joblessness of thousands of workers.
" Our 35,000 power looms have so far been closed in Multan rendering more than 85,000 workers jobless and our children are forced to starve," said Khaliq Kandeel Ansari, Secretary General of All Pakistan Power looms Association while talking to newsmen. He said that more than 2000 power loom workers would besiege the Mepco headquarter on Monday if the duration was not cut considerably. On Sunday, workers sit on the track and they did not let the trains move towards their destination.
Divisional Superintendent of Railway Manzoor Ahmed said that hundreds of power looms owners living along the railway track in Ansar Colony blocked the railway track for 3/4 hours causing suspension of rail traffic on this section. However we got cleared the track after negotiations with the demonstrators after four hours, Police played its role as a silent spectator and did not take action against the protestors who were burning tyres and wood on the track.