PESHAWAR: All Pakistan Wapda Hydroelectric Workers Union, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, elected its office-bearers for the session 2018-19 here on Saturday. However, the union’s central chairman said that those who took part in the election had violated its constitution.

According to a statement issued here, Haji Mohammad Iqbal was elected provincial chairman, Naseerullah Mohmand senior vice-chairman, Mohammad Hassan vice-chairman, Jamil Akhtar Tanoli deputy vice-chairman, Noorul Amin provincial secretary and Tariq Khan joint secretary.

It was stated that all the office-bearers were elected unopposed in a general council meeting in Peshawar.

Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference All Pakistan Wapda Hydroelectric Workers Union central chairman Gohar Taj expressed shock over the split in the union and warned that those who participated in the election held by the splinter group blatantly violated the union’s constitution and thus damaged the cause of thousands of workers.

He rejected the parallel union and termed it unconstitutional as it was based on ‘fake membership’ and appealed to the employees to avoid taking membership otherwise such steps would lead to destroy the struggle of their union for rights.

The union chief said that the constitutional tenure of the union would complete on Sept 25 and they had already convened its general body meeting in Lahore to elect new office-bearers and those who held the election on Sept 22 had violated the rules.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2018