Complete shutter down was observed in industrial area and all shopping centres on Saturday against unscheduled prolonged load shedding and new high prices of gas and its non-availability. All shopping centres and markets at Satiana Road, Susan Road, Eight Bazars, around Clock Tower, and Circular Road remained closed.
The local Yarn Market, Cloth Market, Timber Market and Hosiery Units, Paint manufacturers and powerloom units also suspended their business. Not a single procession was taken out nor any protest meeting was held because of Muharram. However, a number of small processions in Ghulam Muhammadabad, Jhang Road and Millat Road were taken out, but the precisionists dispersed before the arrival of the police.
In many parts of the city, the factory workers split in groups. They burnt tyres on roads, disrupting vehicular traffic for a while. On Millat Road, a group of workers tried to damage a bank, but firing in the air by the bank guard, forced them to dispersed. However, in Gulistan Colony, the angry mob forcibly entered the Fesco offices and set the office record on fire.
Before dispersing, they set three motorcycles and one car on fire. At some other places, the police resorted to lathicharge, teargas shelling and firing in the air to disperse the mob and reportedly hauled up over 60 workers.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Pakistan Yarn Merchants Association Muhammad Asghar Gandhi and Vice-Chairman of All-Pakistan Small Units Powerlooms Association Mehmood Alam Jatt told newsmen that due to severe load shedding of power and gas in Faisalabad, a large number of industrial units had either been completely closed or operating partially, thus rendering thousands of workers jobless. They demanded of the government to take immediate steps for restoration of power and gas to the industrial units, especially to the export-oriented Units to save them from total collapse.