Thousands of power company employees took to the streets against the proposed dissolution of the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) and the privatisation of power companies Tuesday. The Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO)’s employees locked down 126 sub-divisional offices of the company in protest and marched on GT Road from Camping Ground to GEPCO Headquarters, where the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Hydroelectric Union threatened to turn off power supply to the whole country if the government’s decision was not reversed.
Employees closed down the customer service centres in various cities of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh and took out rallies against what they said was an injustice to them. Workers protested in Faisalabad, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Narowal, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Shakargarh and Sarae Alamgir, leaving the consumers stranded with no one to respond to their needs. Similar protests were also held in Sanghar, Jacobabad and other cities of Sindh, with the employees threatening a countrywide blackout if the decision was not reversed.
The employees of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) also protested against the proposed privatisation of power distribution companies. Protesters blocked The Mall in Lahore, where the power company employees marched from Alhamra to WAPDA House and chanted slogans against the government. Traffic on The Mall and surrounding roads was blocked and commuters faced difficulties in getting to their destinations.
