9:10 AM
McGhori
ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of furious protesters blocked off the capital’s airport highway on Monday, demonstrating against debilitating gas shortages and pelting police with stones, witnesses said.
A second angry crowd torched tyres in Islamabad and twin city Rawalpindi, throwing stones at police and private vehicles over gas rationing that has left thousands of homes without heat for hours at a time, an AFP reporter said.
Yawning energy shortfalls frequently trigger violent protests across Pakistan, where opposition parties are setting in motion campaigns designed to force elections earlier than scheduled in February 2013.
A mob blocked the main airport highway, forcing airline passengers to get out of their cars and walk with their luggage,...
Posted in: REGIONAL
