PESHAWAR: The protest demonstrations and locking the offices of Peshawar Electric Supply Company by its employees across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have caused severe hardships for the consumers.

During a visit to a local sub-divisional office of Pesco here on Thursday, it was observed that scores of people were roaming outside the office to get their electricity-related problems resolved but the employees were not allowing them to enter the premises.

The employees, only few in number, locked the offices forcibly without explaining as to why they were protesting. Their only explanation about the protest was that “they were against the newly appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of Pesco.” The protest caused many problems for Pesco consumers, who also complained against the rude behaviour of the employees. They said that the protesting employees were least bothered to pay attention to the problems of consumers. The people said that responsibility for prolonged power suspension rested with the Pesco employees as they were not attending offices to ensure smooth power supply.

However, the protest has also caused rift among the Pesco employees as Pakistan Wapda Employees Paigham Union has announced full support to the new CEO, Pervez Akhtar Shah. The members of Paigham union have also started demonstrations in support of the CEO. They alleged that some corrupt elements were trying to blackmail Pesco administration for their vested interests.

BoD member asks employees to end protest and support new chief executive officer of the power company

In a statement here on Thursday, Paighan union provincial president Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Asghar Khattak, Tila Mohammad, Arbab Altaf and Sahib Shah said that the new Pesco CEO was determined to take action against the corrupt elements that’s why a group of workers was holding protest against him.

Meanwhile, the Board of Directors (BoD) of Pesco has urged the office-bearers of Hydro Electric Workers Union to avoid creating hurdles in the official work and extend support to the newly appointed CEO so that the power company could resolve the problems being faced by the consumers. Talking to journalists here on Thursday, Pesco BoD member Nasir Khan Musazai said that the power company devised a plan to resolve most of the problems being faced by the consumers owing to different reasons.

Mr Musazai, who is also provincial information secretary of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, said that they were supporting the new CEO as was appointed purely on merit. He said that BoD members including the chairman of the board were on the same page and supported CEO on the basis of his experience.

“We have not set any deadline for the transfer of CEO. The BoD will fully support him as the federal government has appointed him on merit,” Mr Musazai said and added that those opposing him would have some vested interests.

The hydro union continued its protest on Thursday and staged a sit-in outside Governor’s House. They chanted slogans against the Pesco CEO and prime minister. The protesters were led by central chairman of the union Gohar Taj, provincial chairman Haji Mohammad Iqbal, secretary Mustajab Mazdoor Yar and deputy chairman Ali Syed.

The protest caused suspension of vehicular traffic on Sher Shah Suri Road. The passengers had to march towards their destinations owing suspension of traffic.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2014