APLA leaders Khaliq Qandeel Ansari, Sanaullah Ansari, Rana Muhammad Yamin, and Shahid Sultan said that more than 60,000 powerlooms have so far been closed since January 15 and would remain close in Multan and other parts of Southern Punjab till acceptance of their demands.
They announced to auction their 10,000 powerlooms on February 2 while a delegation of powerlooms would visit Bangladesh for shifting of powerloom industry. They said that more than one lac workers rendered jobless due to closure of powerlooms. The workers organised a big rally and staged a demonstration at Chowk Manzoorabad, as a protest against the export of cotton yarn, high prices of yarn and 10 to 14 hours long power load shedding.
Thousands of people, including powerloom owners and workers, traders and shopkeepers, took out a rally on the call of the Powerloom Workers Association and APLA. They marched through the Chungi No 14, Manzoor Abad where they staged a sit-in and blocked the road for an hour.
The protesters were chanting slogans against the government. They were also carrying placards and banners. They condemned the police excess against the powerloom workers and citizens in Kasur and said that there was no justification for baton-charging the peaceful protesters to disperse them. Speakers said load shedding had rendered 100,000 factory workers and hundreds of daily-wagers jobless but the government was not taking any step to control it. They warned the government of taking out more rallies if it failed to control load shedding.