PESHAWAR: Wapda employees on Wednesday held a rally on Sher Shah Suri Road against the proposed privatisation of the authority.

They also demanded reduction in power tariff, and prices of daily use items.

The protesters also shouted slogans against the government for its privatisation policy. They were led by All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union central chairman Gohar Taj.

The speakers came down hard on the federal government for what they called planning to privatise Wapda, and warned that the worl(ers would prefer sacrificing their lives to allowing Wapda privatisation.

They said that by privatising Wapda, the government would further increase unemployment, adding that the rulers should not implement what they said the policies of the International Monitory Fund and World Bank.

The Wapda, said the protesters, was a profit making organisation and in case of its privatisation the power tariff would increase to the extent that the poor people would be unable to avail the facility.

They said that instead of privatisation the government should bring reforms in the power sector, build new hydel power stations and control hike in power tariff.

The workers also demanded of the government to increase their salaries in accordance with the present price hike.

Similarly, the Wapda workers also expressed concern over the death of labourers in a marble mine in Mohmand Agency and demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed to compensate the victims` families.

TIMERGARA: The local chapter of the All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric WorkersUniononWednesday held a protest demonstration against the government`s privatisation policy. The protesting workers while carrying banners and placards marched on the road from SDO Chakdara office to the Chal(dara Press Club.

They warned of stiff resistance if the government privatised power companies, saying that the move was tantamount to financial killing of their children. They said that the issue would be raised at every forum. The protesting workers demanded of the federal government to reverse its plan of privatising power companies.