The Faisalabad powerloom owners and labourers staged a protest demonstration at the District Council Chowk on Monday against the price hike and surging rates of the electricity. The protesters announced to besiege the Fesco office on Sep 19 if government would not resolve the issues of the industry. Chanting slogans against the government, the protesters gathered at the Zila Council Chowk, threw traffic out of gear and put cotton and tyres on fire. Addressing the agitators, Council of Loom Owners Association (COLA) , Waheed Khaliq said owing to high rates of the electricity the loom owners were not in a position to run their units. He said the units were being closed leaving dozens of workers jobless. He said the situation would go from bad to worse in the days to come if no special initiative was not taken for the powerloom sector. The loom owners are facing it difficult to pay the electricity bills carrying various types of taxes, he added. Other power looms owners said that the continuously increasing unit rates have broken the back of the industry and they were unable to make cheap cloth. We have no other solution except to lock the power looms, they added.