The Sindh High Court on Thursday disposed of a contempt-of-court plea filed by the Karachi Electric Supply Company management and ordered the law enforcers to provide security to KESC’s installations. A division bench comprising Justices Sajjad Ali Shah and Ahmed Ali Shaikh also ordered removal of protesters’ camps set up by KESC employees from outside the power company’s offices and installations.
Counsel for the KESC submitted in the application that the High Court had directed the Home Department, Rangers and city police to provide appropriate security to the power utility and its installations and ensure that the company’s operation would not be disrupted or obstructed as well as no harm would be caused to any of its staff. However, the counsel stated, the KESC Labour Union, who has been demonstrating against the company’s management, recently arrived at the utility’s head office in DHA and threatened its staff.
The labour union violently disrupted the working of the KESC and prevented its staff from carrying out their duties, including urgent repair works that resulted in extensive load shedding across the city, the counsel added. He said that the labour union’s actions were illegal and the law enforcers had failed to provide security to the power company, its staff and its installations, despite the court orders.
He prayed to the court for appointing a commissioner to monitor the KESC head office and the surrounding area of its premises.
The court appointed a commissioner to monitor the KESC head office that the on-strike workers had allegedly surrounded and were holding the management and other employees hostage.
