RAWALPINDI: The Civil Aviation Employees Union and Officers Association held a protest at the Islamabad International Airport on Wednesday against the outsourcing of the airport and the privatisation of various departments.

The protest was organised by oint action committee of the Civil Aviation Authority employees and addressed by its President Raja Asif, union office bearer Ayaz Butt, Iftikhar Awan from the Officers Association and Javed Baloch from the Water and Power Development Authority Hydro Electric Workers Union, among others.

Mr Asif called it a conspiracy that the government wanted to outsource to a lucrative company when the CAA earns tens of millions of rupees in revenue every year. He said they want to leave people unemployed despite this, which workers have been standing against.

Mr Baloch said that he would protect the rights of workers on every front.

He said the government should realise the problems facing employees and reconsider their plan. Before coming to power, he said, Prime Minister Imran Khan said he would not allow any institution to be privatised and now, against his own promises, he will not allow any success in any way.

The protesters shouted various chants, including ‘Go Imran Go’ and ‘A friend of privatisation is a traitor’, and marched in various parts of the airport before dispersing peacefully.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2020