LAHORE, June 13: Jamaat-i-Islami’s Lahore chapter amir Hafiz Salman Butt and secretary-general Amirul Azeem have demanded release of the arrested PTCL trade union leaders and their families. In a joint statement here on Monday, they said the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal would protest against PTCL privatization and arrest of its union leaders on June 17 and 18.

They said earlier Wapda thermal units’ sell-off had resulted in costlier power, and the ruling PML and Information Minister Shaikh Rashid had been maligning PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and her husband, Asif Zardari, for the act. The thermal units had been privatized during the second term of Ms Bhutto as prime minister.

They also expressed concern over deployment of troops at PTCL installations and arrest of labour leaders and their families.

MPAs Asghar Gujjar, Dr Waseem Akhtar and Ehsanullah Waqas said in a separate statement that the government which could not run profit-earning institutions like the PTCL had no right to rule the country.