Despite bidding of 26 percent shares of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Anti-Privatisation Alliance (APA) has vowed to continue its struggle against privatisation of the company. A number of political and human rights activists, labour leaders, representatives of lawyers and PTCL workers held a demonstration at Shimla Pehari Chowk here on Saturday. The demonstrators raised full-throat slogans against privatisation of PTCL.
Addressing on the occasion, Pakistan Labour Party (PLP) secretary general Farooq Tariq said that privatisation of PTCL was against the larger interest of the country as well as nation.
All Pakistan Clerk Association (APCA)'s secretary general Nusrat Ali Toor said clerks of the country fully supported the PTCL employees in their just struggle. He said the government has no right to sell national assets on throwaway prices.
ARD joint secretary Manzoor Gilani said that ARD, after coming into power would cancel the PTCL's privatisation deal. He was of the view that PTCL, which was earning Rs 30 billion profits per annum, must not be privatised.
Chief of Peoples Labour Bureau Abdul Qadir Shaheen said PPPP was against the privatisation of PTCL, as it would increase economic miseries of the people.
Sohail Malik, Rashad Lodhi, Farrukh Sohail Goendi, Fazal Wahad, Naheed Afandi, Salim Qadri, Taimoor Usman, Irfan Mufti, Sohail Malik, Shafqat Inqalabi, Safder Sindhu and others also spoke on the occasion.