Sui Northern Executive Officers Association (SNEOA) observed strike on second consecutive day along with the Employees Union of SNGPL at the company's head office and regional offices all over Punjab against the arrest of Executive Engineer Shahid Shaukat by Federal Investigation Agency on the charges of corruption and abuse of power.
According to SNGPL officials they would continue their protest till the release of Shahid Shaukat and appealed to the concerned authorities to play their role for the prompt release of the duty-bound and dedicated company executive.
The protesters told Business Recorder that the boycott would continue til charges against Shaukat were dropped. They said Shaukat was being victimised for exposing the corruption of influential people. They also said that the UFG campaign would suffer if such kind of actions were taken against honest officials like Shaukat who disconnected hundreds of illegal connections of influential people involved in gas theft. Due to the strike consumers faced inconvenience to consumers who visited the offices on Friday with complaints.
Muhammad Ahmad, a consumer, said he had been visiting the office for several days seeking correction in excessive gas bill. He said while the staff had earlier been asking him to visit later, on Friday he was told that there was going to be an indefinite boycott of work. Ahmad's complaint of an excessive bill was also pending for several days, he said. "My gas bill for January contains dues I have already paid in December's bill," he said.