Wapda, Tesco employees protest against proposed privatization

HANGU/KHAR: The employees of Wapda and Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco) on Thursday threatened to launch a country-wide protest movement if the government privatised the two entities.

The employees gathered at the Wapda House in Hangu and chanted slogans against the proposed privatization. They said that privatization of Wapda would be opposed tooth and nail as, according to them, the high-ups had exploited the entity and now the poor employees were being made a scapegoat. Speaking to protesters, Hydro Union chairman Javed Hussain and general secretary Faraukh Sair said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had opposed the privatization of Wapda and other departments but now its rulers reneged on the pledges.

They said that privatization of Wapda would not be accepted at any cost and union would launch a strong protest movement for their rights. The Tesco employees also staged a protest demonstration against privatization in Khar, the headquarters of Bajaur tribal district, and said that the government’s decision to privatise the company was not acceptable to them.

On this occasion, union leaders Shafiqur Rahman, Jabbar Khan and others said that they would have no other option but to observe power breakdown across the country if the government did not reverse its decision regarding privatizing the Wapda and its allied companies.

The speakers said that protest demonstrations were being held in all the district on the call of union and they did not hesitate to render any sacrifice for their rights.