PESHAWAR: The employees of Peshawar Electric Supply Company on Wednesday boycotted their duties and took out a rally to record their protest against the expected privatisation of Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco). Such protests against the proposed sell-off of Wapda distribution companies were also held in Kohat, Karak and Mingora.

In Peshawar, the protesters were led by leaders of All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union, including central chairman Gohar Taj, provincial chairman Mohammad Iqbal and Tesco`s regional chairman Faridullah Khadim. The protesters came out from the Wapda House on Shami Road and observed a sit-in and later marched to the Bacha Khan Chowk, which also caused suspension of traffic for quite some time.

The participants were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the privatisation of Fesco and asked the government to drop the plan otherwise they would launch a countrywide protest movement. They shouted slogans against the federal government for privatising the power company against the will of workers and warned that if the decision was not withdrawn they would continue taking out protest rallies.

Gohar Taj alleged that the government was following the IMF and WB policies to sell profitable national organisations at throwaway prices to its near and dear ones at the cost of the country`s economy.

The policy of privatisation, he said, was against the interest of the nation and tantamount to loot and plunder of the national wealth. `All the national level organisations like Pakistan Railways and Wapda are very beneficial and lucrative, but the government is intentionally showing them in loss to pave the way for their privatisation,` he said.

In Kohat division, the Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union hoisted black flags on their offices and observed pen down strike against the proposed privatisation of Wapda.

Addressing the protesting workers, divisional president of the union, Younis Shah, alleged that the PML-N government wanted to privatise profitable institutions and give them to its favourites for peanuts.

Other activists, including Sagheer Ahmed and Furqan, also opposed the idea of selling Wapda to oblige certain politicians.

In Karak, the Wapda employees, led by divisional chairman Gul Nazar, marched to the press club on Wednesday and protested against the government`s privatisation plan.

The workers were carrying banners inscribed with the slogans in favour of their demands. They alleged that the rulers wanted to sell out the power distribution companies to their supporters at throwaway prices.

In Mingora, the employees staged a protest against the proposed privatisation of Wapda on Wednesday. The local Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union members started protest march from the Wapda office and gathered in front of the Swat Press Club. They said that privatisation of Wapda meant financial murder of the employees, which was not acceptable to them.

They demanded that the government must reverse its decision of privatisation of Wapda otherwise they would launch a nationwide protest.