WAPDA employees protest against proposed privatisation

Thousands of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) employees staged a protest on Wednesday against the proposed privatisation of power units and the induction of private employees on the senior posts of the distribution companies.
The protesters held placards and banners and chanted slogans in favour of their demands. WAPDA Hydro Electric Union secretary Javed Baloch announced that the WAPDA workers would continue their protests against the government’s apathy and will not allow the privatisation of the power units. Referring to the assurance given by Federal Minister Water and Power Naveed Qamar about the proposed privatisation plan, he said the plan to suspend Islamabad’s power supply had been postponed due to the assurance given by the federal minister.
He added that if the minister failed to resolve the matter through negotiations, the power unit employees will outline a comprehensive plan against the stakeholders concerned. He stated that despite the government’s assurance that WAPDA will not be privatised; private employees were being inducted on senior posts in all the distribution companies. A WAPDA Hydro Electric Union member Azmat Awan said the government did not provide any written assurance about not privatising the company.
“Why has the government been appointing private officials despite the presence of competent officers in the company?” he asked. He feared that the government was appointing private officials to privatise WAPDA by deceiving its regular employees. He said the government had formed boards of directors for every distribution company to derive political benefits. Senior IESCO official Wajid Ali Kazmi said the board members were not competent or knowledgeable about WAPDA to be given those posts.
Residents protest: Residents of Rawalpindi have protested against the dilapidated condition of a historic area and demanded the authorities to take measures to improve the drainage system and make necessary repairs. Residents said they have been deprived of supply of pure drinking water due to the negligence of the local authorities. They also demanded a good quality of pipeline system and removal of drug addicts roaming in the streets. The premises of UC 37 uncovered many problems faced by residents of Ganj Mandi, Ghazni road, Hamilton road and Ghazni market.
Ex- Nazim UC 37 Rana Rifaqat has said that the elected parliamentarians have ignored the citizens and demanded local body elections. Muhammad Zubair, Behraam Khan, Ghulam Mustafa said that several diseases have spread due to poor drainage system and broken water pipelines. The residents demanded immediate solution to their problems.