Traders protesting power outages on Tuesday have been told by government functionaries Rashid Rabbani and Waqar Mehdi that the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) is soon being re-nationalised.
The two men were talking to traders associated with the All Karachi Tajir Ittehad (AKTI) who had organised a sit-in outside the Chief Minister’s House. They urged the protestors to “wait for a few days, until the government assumes control of the power utility.”
AKTI Chairman Atiq Mir confirmed to Pakistan Today that the two government functionaries had claimed that the power utility was being re-nationalised. “The protesters had planned a protest outside CM House for an indefinite period, but returned home after Rashid Rabbani and Waqar Mehdi told them about the government’s plans,” he said.
“Re-nationalisation of the KESC is an old demand of ours, and the government has started the process. The chief minister wants all like-minded stakeholders to evolve census on ending KESC’s privatisation,” he said, adding that the CM will send a schedule of meetings to be held with stakeholders in a few days.
He said that the government has assured protesting worker to wait for few days until preparation of cancelling KESC privatisation is completed.
Earlier, hundreds of traders gathered at Khaliqina Hall on M. A. Jinnah Road to protest day-long power outages and the non-acceptance of demands of KESC workers. The protest rally left M. A. Jinnah Road at 4.00pm, and after passing through Aram Bagh, Presco Chowk, I. I. Chundrigar Road and Shaheen Complex, reached CM House for a sit-in. Traders from 300 markets association of M A Jinnah Road participated in the rally. The protesters presented a memorandum for the Sindh CM, which was received by Rashid Rabbani and Waqar Mehdi.
