Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) employees have demanded the government review the decision of privatising the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) and have threatened to besiege the Parliament House Islamabad on December 21, in case the decision is not taken back. Hundreds of WAPDA employees threatened the government during a protest demonstration held under the auspices of Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Central Labour Union (PWHECLU-CBA) outside the cantonment railway station on Wednesday. Holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against privatisation of PESCO, unemployment, political interference in government departments and increase in electricity bills, the protesters chanted slogans against the government’s decision.
After registering their protest with reporters, the employees marched to the Governor’s House and blocked Sher Shah Soori Road for all kinds of traffic. Central Chairman Gohar Taj, Provincial Chairman Mohammad Iqbal and Deputy Chairman Mustajab were leading the protesters. They said on one hand, the government was restoring sacked employees while on the other the revenue generating institutions of the country were being privatised. They expressed concern over the proposed decision of privatisation and said PESCO was a revenue generation institution and its privatisation would directly affect the consumers because the company would increase power tariff. They demanded the government review the proposed decision.
