Karachi, July 12, 2025 : Massive protests erupted in Punjab Colony on Saturday after residents were left without electricity and water for hours, following a power disconnection by K-Electric. The protest, which blocked both tracks of the road leading to Defence Mor, paralyzed traffic across key areas including Boat Basin, leaving commuters stranded for over four hours.
According to Geo News, the disruption began when K-Electric cut off power to a residential building with 80 flats around 11 a.m. on Friday. The move followed a crackdown on illegal connections in the nearby PNT Colony, but residents of Punjab Colony—who insist they had no role in the dispute—claim they were unfairly punished.
This incident adds to mounting criticism of K-Electric, Karachi’s sole power distributor, which faces repeated accusations of arbitrary disconnections, mismanagement, and neglect—particularly in law-abiding, bill-paying neighborhoods.
The protest prompted police to divert traffic via Gizri Underpass and Khayaban-e-Jami, but gridlock persisted until power restoration was promised by local authorities. The demonstration was called off only after a five-hour standoff.
Community leaders have denounced what they see as targeted neglect of Punjabi-majority areas and called for urgent reforms in the utility sector.
Residents say the pattern of frequent outages, water shortages, and delayed responses is emblematic of Karachi’s deepening urban crisis, fueled by poor governance and weak accountability.
