Cable operators hold successful meeting with KE officials

KARACHI: The K-Electric (KE), according to a press statement from Cable Operators Association of Pakistan’s Chairman Khalid Arian, has halted its operation of getting rid of cable wires from their electric poles.

In the coming week, he said that they will turn in proposals to KE in which the association and power utility will decide Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which the association will implement. The KE, he said, will cooperate with the association in the implementation process. He agreed that there have been certain faults at cable operators’ end.

“Cable wires which have been installed in a faulty manner will be removed,” he assured. He said that whatever deaths occurred during the rainfall due to electrocution were not because of KE or the cable association. Arian was speaking to the media outside KE’s head-office in Defence Housing Authority (DHA). Cable Operators Association of Pakistan’ Sindh President Ikhlaq Ahmed was also present with him.

Arian further said that they launched a protest and had also given a strike call against the power utility company for disconnecting their cable wires. “We were supposed to shutdown the entire cable system tonight at 10pm,” he said. However, later a meeting with KE was scheduled which happened in a good manner, he said.

In the meeting, he shared that the KE informed cable operators that they are using their electric poles in a wrong manner. In the meeting, officials decided to formulate SOPs and also discussed the law and order situation. In the SOPs, he said that it will be decided how their cable wires on KE’s poles will be attached. However, not all the wires on KE poles belong to them. There are also wires of PTCL and internet data providers on KE poles, he pointed out. He said that they will inform their cable operators on how to use poles properly.

Meanwhile, KE’s distribution head Amir Zia announced to halt the wire cutting operation by the KE. Arian said that in order to continue their businesses, they will continue to use KE’s poles and will bring an improvement in installation of their cable wires. He explained that wires of cable operators don’t have current in it, however they will bring an improvement in their system. He shared that in entire world, information is shared through mass communication which uses electric poles.

Meanwhile, KE in their press statement said that their negotiations with the cable operators remained successful in the presence of deputy commissioner South. The power utility company conveyed safety hazards regarding installation of wires in a wrong manner on their poles. They also shared the damages cable television wires incur on their electricity infrastructure.

The KE launched a large-scale operation on Thursday to remove unauthorised cable TV and internet wires which are encroaching on KE poles throughout the city. According to their press statement during the operation they removed nearly 1,400 kgs of illegal cables and kundas from its infrastructure in parts of Tipu Sultan, KMCHS, Khayaban-e-Shamsheer in DHA and surrounding areas.

The power utility has been fully cooperating with investigations into the unfortunate incidents which occurred during the recent torrential rains in Karachi and is committed to taking remedial measures.