Thousand of Elecy/WAPDA Workers along with Elecy.
Engineers held a mass Rally to-day 18th February, 2015 outside
Islamabad PRESS CLUB under the aegis of "ALL PAKISTAN WAPDA HYDRO ELECTRIC
WORKERS UNION" C.B.A. along Electricity Engineers Association against the
present Government Move to privatize national Public Utility Elecy. against the
public interest. The Protestors participated from all the provinces of the
country and had been carrying National and Red Flags and Banners condemning the
proposed Privatization of Essential need of Elecy. of the citizens of Pakistan
on the behest of the World Bank highlighting that the experience of
privatization of Eecy. in Rawalpindi and Multan Elecy. Companies had failed
even in the cities. That is why those were handed over to WAPDA while Karachi
Elecy. Company despite receiving 650 Megawatts cheaper Elecy. from WAPDA daily
and receiving the billions of rupees every year as subsidy from Federal
Government. It had neither overcome load shedding, nor high cost of elecy.
while wherein it has been keeping its Thermal Power Houses closed to earn
double profit which had been even acknowledged by the Federal Minister Water
& Power before the Senate of Pakistan other Months. The mass rally was held
despite rain and the workers along with Engineers and held a Mass Protest
against Privatization and took out Protest Procession. The Veteran Trade Union
Leader Mr. Khurshid Ahmed General Secretary of the Union along with Abdul Latif
Nizamani President and Gohar Taj Chairman highlighted that it is STATE
Responsibility to provide basic need of Elecy. under the Constitution to the
Citizens, Agriculture, Industrial, Commerce, therefore its privatization would not
only be against the Constitution, but also, the declaration of the Father of
the nation which had declared that all Public Utilities are to be run under
Public Sector in the Public Interest. They demanded that the Government should
develop cheaper sources of Elecy. Generation alike Hydel & Gas and Coal
instead of relying on Furnace Oil Private Thermal Power House and get recovered
200 billion U.S. dollars from Swiss Banks deposited by the Federal Lords and
Capitalists and Politicians as declared by the Federal Finance Minister and
impose taxes upon Feudal Lords and capitalists and Politician whose majority
did not pay any tax while 80% Tax Payers are wage earners. They demanded that
the Government should introduce for reaching reforms to raise efficiency of
those Elecy. Utilities instead of handing over to the Private Board of Director
who had no interest. They demanded to the Prime Minister to hold dialogue with
the Union and discuss these issues in the National Assembly and Senate alike
other country instead of pursuing Privatization Policy of National Public
Utilities alike Elecy, Railway, Oil & Gas, P.I.A. , Steel Mill and National
Bank of Pakistan which would give rise Inter Provincial dispute. They warned ,
in case no response from the Government, they would be compelled to take
industrial action.
The meeting was also addressed by Dilawar Khan President
Engineers Association, Javed Baloch Chairman (Islamabad), Haji Zahir Gul
Secretary & Iqbal Khan (Peshawar). Iqbal Dar (Gujranwalsa), Rana Ghulam
Jaffar (Faisalabad), Ch. Ghulam Rasool (Multan), Iqbal Qaim Khani (Hyderabad
Sind), Haji Abdul Hayee (Quetta), Mazhar Mateen, Rana Shakoor (Lahore) and the
representatives of Railway, P.I.A, Oil & Gas, National Bank of Pakistan who
extended full support of Elecy. /WAPDA Workers.
Mr. Khurshid Shah Leader of Opposition in National Assembly
also addressed the Rally of the Workers and declared that their Party is
against Privatization of Elecy. and other Public Utilities and fully Stand
behind the just struggle of the working class and promise to raise this issue
in National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan.
Secretary Information 0333-4276811 or news item supplied by
Osama Tariq
All Pakistan Wapda
Hydro Electric Workers Union CBA
Bukhtiar Labour
Hall 28 Nisbet Road Lahore.
0333-4276811
Dated 18 Febrauary
2015
