As many as 140,000 employees of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) demonstrated against privatisation and appointment of private chief executives in electric supply companies on Tuesday.
Not only in Lahore, the employees carried out demonstrations and observed a strike in different cities of Punjab against the expected privatisation of the organisation.
Labour Union Chief Rasheed Ahmed Khan said that privatisation would not solve the problem, as power is already expensive and short. He said that the entire country would face black out if the decision to privatise Wapda is not revoked. It may be noted that the government has planned to privatise power companies, but no notification has been issued to the companies. The protestors chanted slogans and demanded the decision to be withdrawn immediately.
They said the privatisation would not only lead to the unemployment of thousands of workers in electric supply companies but it would also allow an unchecked hike in power prices. The Lesco employees warned that if privatisation is not withdrawn, the power supply to all government departments including parliament would be suspended. They said that privatisation of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has failed and a lesson should be learned from it. This demonstration led to heavy roadblocks across the city, resulting into traffic jams, obstructing the free movement of ambulances, fire brigades.
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