ISLAMABAD: Employees of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) on Thursday protested the proposed privatisation of the company, and blocked one side of the road in front of the National Press Club.

Iesco employees have protested against proposed privatisation several times over the last few months.

Addressing the workers, Pakistan Hydro Electric Workers Union (PHEWU) regional chairperson Javed Baloch said that Iesco employees would never allow the company to be privatised.

`During the tenure of the PPP, Federal Minister Naveed Qamar stated in writing that Iesco would not be privatised and the PPP government implemented the agreement. Even though it was an agreement by the state, the PML-N government is not ready to accept it,` he said.

`Iesco has been earning a proßt, as there is a 100 per cent recovery rate and only single digit line losses, so it would not be a wise decision to privatise it,` Mr Baloch said.

PHEWU regional secretary Haji Zahir Gul said the government should clearly announcethatithasdropped all plans for privatisation.

`Otherwise, we will have no option but to intensif y the protest. We are planning to hold a sit-in in Islamabad next month. Employees from all over the country will participate in the sit-in,` he said.

Employees` union information secretary Manzoor Shah told Dawn that employees would continue their protest until the government withdraws its decision.

`Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif, in a meeting, said that he would arrange a meeting of the employees with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, but that promise was not fulfille d,` he said.A Reporter