HYDERABAD, July 22: The Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Labour Union has expressed concern over the proposed privatisation of the two profitable Wapda companies, Jamshoro Powerhouse and Faisalabad Electric Supply Company, under pressure of the World Bank.

The central president of the union, Abdul Latif Nizamani, and Sindh secretary, Iqbal Kaimkhani, in a statement issued here on Monday, said that the privatisation would create anomalies in the power tariff.

They added that the privatization would also adversely affect nine million domestic and agricultural consumes of Balochistan, FATA and Azad Kashmir.

They said that these consumers would have to pay more for power supply and Wapda would not be able to maintain a balance between the profitable and non-profitable companies.

They said that the privatization process would not only create disputes but would also prove harmful to national unity.

The union leaders appealed to the president and Wapda chairman in the larger interest of the country not to privatize the national enterprises.

HBL: The chief of the STPP and Sindh Ponam, Dr Qadir Magsi, has condemned the discrimination against the officials belonging to two particular communities by the Habib Bank in respect of promotions.

In a statement issued here on Monday, he expressed surprise that while other bank officers had been granted promotions, the Sindhi and Balochi speaking officers had been intentionally overlooked.

He said that he had confirmed reports that the list of Sindhi and Balochi speaking officials had been kept in a separate file which amounted to racial prejudice.

He said that on one hand the rulers were blowing the trumpet of merit for appointments and promotions and on the other the principle of merit and efficiency was being ignored.

He asked the president of the bank to explain why such injustices had been committed against the Sindhi and Baloch officials.