Power riots in Pakistan keep police on toes

Jun 21, 2007, 10:27 GMT

Islamabad - Police in Pakistan's commercial hub of Karachi braced Thursday for possible widespread unrest after overnight riots triggered by frequent power cuts.

'We are pursing a strategy of restraint with a psychological approach to defuse tension among people irritated by power breakdowns in this hot and humid weather,' senior police officer Tahir Naveed said.

Mobs in the port city of more than 15 million people ransacked a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise Wednesday night and made abortive attempts to force their way into a couple of banks.

The demonstrators also pelted vehicles with stones and damaged public property, prompting law enforcement personnel to use tear gas to disperse the angry crowds.

The protesters also blocked roads by burning tyres and littering them with heavy stones, leading to traffic snarls that took several hours to clear.

'Our focus is to negotiate with the agitators by asking them about their grievances and checking the causes with the electricity suppliers,' Naveed said, adding that police feared some people might be exploiting the situation and instigating violence in a bid to gain political mileage by criticizing the government and local authorities.

Pakistan, which is in the grip of a severe heat wave with temperatures as high as 52 degrees, is confronting a power crisis as demand for electricity far outstrips the supply.

Opposition political parties also lashed out at the government of President Pervez Musharraf for not investing in power-generation projects amid a much trumpeted increase in Pakistan's financial reserves.