IESCO complaint cells have no security cover

Despite repeated attacks on the local complaint cells of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), the high-ups of the entity are reluctant to provide security to their employees working there and the buildings as there is no legal provision in the IESCO rules to appoint security guards at these premises.
An IESCO source, on the condition of anonymity, told Pakistan Today that the complaint cells were not authorised to appoint security guards because it was against the IESCO’s rules, adding that there was no quota of security guards for the complaint cells. “The officials are authorised to deploy security guards are at grid stations and head office only and not at the complaint cells,” he added.
He said it was now the responsibility of the top administration to introduce new laws and to appoint security guards at > every office of the electricity company, including complaint cells, which always remained the first target of protesters and thieves. “Situation was different in the past as there was no load-shedding and no threat of attack on the IESCO offices, but every thing has changed now and it becomes necessary to deploy guards at every complaint cell in prevailing situation” he added.
Talking to Pakistan Today, several employees working in the complaint cells say long hours of power suspension can threaten their lives because during any untoward situation they fall prey to the angry citizens. Similarly, they said the IESCO assets were also not safe because of lack of security measures, adding that thieves and robbers could easily enter into the office without any fear.
“One late night, I was sitting in the complaint room when, unexpectedly, some people intruded into the office building and started damaging it. They didn’t even give me time to inquire about the reason behind the unethical move. However, I did not bother to ask them any question and jumped out of the building from a nearby window to save my own life,” said Bashir Ahmad, a poor employee.
He said after some time, he and some other employees, who were also present in the office at that time, came to know that the mob targeted the premises due to the unending power outages. Bashir, however, said that they were mentally prepared for such situation because some locals had already warned them of dire consequences if power supply was not restore at the earliest.
“What could I do if they attacked me or even kill me,” Bashir questioned, adding that the life of poor was very cheap in the country. “Had a similar incident occurred in presence of any senior official, the situation would have been different,” he noted with regret. But Bashir is not a single one, who faced such an ordeal. There are several other employees, who passed through same circumstances, and how many others will also experience the same situation remains an unanswered question.
Anyways, it is difficult to say that similar attacks will not be repeated in future, but some security steps by the IESCO bosses, including deployment of security guards, can somehow provide the safety to the employees and offices. The situation in the rural areas of the federal capital is much worse than in the urban ones because each sub-division has more than 30,000 consumers in the suburbs of the capital. An official source said in the villages, like Nilor and Tarlai, the employees were facing numerous problems.
“No one can go there after 8pm, and even the police are also reluctant to enter these areas after sunset. The locals cannot endure the load-shedding of even two hours and start threatening the employees of IESCO working in the complaint cells,” he added. He informed that as there was no legal provision for security guards in the IESCO rules, the company had hired the services of private guards for the localities.
Talking to Pakistan Today, IESCO Deputy Director Security Basharat Mahmood said they had provided necessary guards to the IESCO grid stations and main offices, which were already working beyond their capacity. Replying to a question, he said it was not possible for a single guard to protect the building and employees in any untoward situation. “Obviously, the mob attacks are carried out by the residents and the security guards can neither shoot the local dwellers nor injure them. Therefore, deployment of security guards may not be enough,” the official added.
He claimed to have provided private security guards in the rural areas and said proposals had been forwarded to their high-ups for introducing new laws regarding a quota of security guards for the complaint cells.