LAHORE: Hundreds of workers held a protest rally outside the Punjab Assembly as a part of the ‘protest day’ observed all over the country on Thursday under the aegis of the All Pakistan Wapda Hydroelectric Workers Union against proposed privatisation of national electricity distribution and thermal power houses at the behest of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

They were carrying national flags and banners in support of their demands.

The rally was addressed by union Secretary General Khurshid Ahmed and other representatives.

Mr Ahmad reminded the prime minister that electricity was a basic need of the nation and it was being provided by power houses and distribution companies while the private sector was being governed for profit.

Privatisation of electricity at Rawalpindi and Multan had miserably failed in the past and the government had to hand over those private companies to Wapda in 1980.

He said the Supreme Court, the Sindh Assembly and the federal minister for planning had themselves declared in the last rainy season that the experience of the Karachi Electric Supply Company’s privatisation had miserably failed.

He demanded the government hold a bilateral dialogue with the working class instead of privatisation of the public utility providing electricity to almost 30m industrial, commercial, agriculture and domestic electricity consumers. He asked the prime minister to get reviewed the proposed privatisation of electricity.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2021