LAHORE: Employees of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) staged a protest across Pakistan against the possible decision of making Wapda under private ownership of WAPDA entity.
Hundreds of WAPDA employees gathered outside the Lahore Press Club and chanted slogans by holding placards and banners against the possible privatization of WAPDA. The protesters led the rally from Lahore Press Club to the Chief Minister’s House (CM) by blocking the Mall Road, whereas the administration also called on heavy contingent of police. Meanwhile, Pakistan Hydro Electric Employees Union (PHEU) in Kandhkot, Kashmo and Guddu demonstrated outside Chief Office for giving independent title to the power houses.
Leaders of Wapda PHEU Shams-ud-Din Solangi, Wali Muhammad Sehriyani, A D Malik and Ayub Akhtar Zaidi, while addressing the crowd refused to accept the privatization of Wapda and demanded of the government to eliminate this decision as early as possible. On the other hand, Larkana division also faced anger of PHEU workers over the privatization of distribution companies. The employees recorded their protest by locking Sukkur Electric Supply Company (Sepco) offices and took out a rally under the supervision of Regional Chairman Nisar Sheikh that was ended up at Jinnah Bagh Chowk where the protesters burned tyres.
