0
FAISALABAD, Feb 8: The Faisalabad, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh district Bar associations on Saturday demanded President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali to order establishment of a High Court bench here.
Faisalabd DBA President Salahuddin and Secretary-General Arshad Ali Warraich, Jhang DBA President Mian Pervez Saeed and Secretary-General Sheikh Altaf and Toba Tek Singh DBA President Muhammad Anwar Chaudhry and Secretary-General Mian Farrukh Iqbal at a meeting passed a resolution, saying their demand for the bench had been in the doldrums for a year due to indifference of the Lahore’s lawyers.
Speaking to the participants, the lawyers’ leaders vowed to raise their voice for establishment of the High Court’s bench, saying they would also approach the Punjab governor and chief minister to press their demand.
According to the lawyers, residents of the Faisalabad division’s three districts have the right to sort out their legal matters at a bench here. They dispersed with the decision to demonstrate in front of the Punjab Assembly and the Governor’s House on Feb 22.
DEMONSTRATION: The Wapda Employees Union on Saturday threatened to demonstrate along with industrial workers and non-government organizations’ representatives to protest Faisalabad Electric Supply Company’s privatization.
Talking to newsmen, union President Muhammad Saqib said Wapda unions, traders and NGOs were planning protests to stop the government from selling Fesco.
He alleged the government was taking such steps to please foreign donors, calling these steps dangerous for the national economy. He added President Pervez Musharraf and his cabinet were blaming the previous government for selling institutions at throwaway prices for the last three years, but now he had started following in its footsteps.
He said intermittent increase in electricity tariff for the last three to four years was a proof to the government’s negligence. If Fesco was privatized, the power rates would inflate beyond consumers reach, he said.
The Wapda union president claimed Fesco employees had been facing financial problems due to improper planning for their benefits. Thousands of the company’s employees would be shown door after the privatization, he feared.
According to government’s agreement with the World Bank, Fesco would be privatized before June this year.
