ISLAMABAD: Employees of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) on Wednesday staged a protest in Islamabad against the proposed privatisation of electricity distribution companies.

On Tuesday, the All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions and the All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBA) had announced their plan to stage a protest at the National Press Club on Wednesday against the privatisation of Wapda power companies, the Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan and other institutions, while also pressing for their demands.

In the morning, around 10am, protesters began arriving at the National Press Club, and over 150 people had gathered there. Later, dozens of employees also joined the gathering from the nearby Wapda office in G-7.

Police were deployed around the Red Zone, including roads leading to Constitution Avenue, while entry from D-Chowk was also closed.

Workers’ unions warn of nationwide sit-in if govt goes ahead with selling power companies

In the afternoon, a caravan of over 50 vehicles carrying Wapda employees from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reached the club and joined the protesters.

The large gathering of employees from across the country staged the protest against the privatisation of power distribution companies Iesco, Fesco and Gepco, staff shortages in the institution, the rise in fatal accidents and other anti-labour government measures allegedly taken at the behest of the IMF.

The rally was led by Wapda CBA Central Secretary General and senior labour leader Khurshid Ahmed, Chairman Gohar Taj, Haji Muhammad Ramzan Achakzai (Balochistan), Haji Iqbal Khan, Jamil Tanoli (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Iqbal Khan (Sindh), Usama Tariq (Lahore), Javed Iqbal Baloch (Islamabad) and other office-bearers.

The protesters were carrying black, red and green flags, as well as placards and banners inscribed with slogans against privatisation and in favour of workers’ demands.

They also chanted slogans against the IMF agenda, the destruction of national institutions, poor economic policies, inflation, unemployment and the privatisation of power companies.

Addressing the protesters, the union leaders demanded that the government withdraw its plans to privatise profitable power companies. They said more than 60,000 posts in Wapda were vacant and should be filled immediately to reduce the workload and prevent fatal accidents caused by staff shortages.

Khurshid Ahmed, Wapda CBA Central Secretary General, said the prime minister should note that previous experiments of privatizing Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan Electric Supply Companies, as well as thermal power houses, had failed miserably.

He urged the government not to hand over a national institution of public interest to private businessmen. He further demanded action against electricity theft, protection for workers from criminal gangs, recruitment of employees’ children under the quota system and immediate filling of vacant posts.

The speakers said the government had created an atmosphere of fear and panic in the country through privatisation, layoffs and anti-labour measures. They warned that frustration and anxiety among employees and the salaried class had reached alarming levels.

They cautioned that every section of society, including teachers, doctors, students, lady health workers and pensioners was protesting. They warned that if the government sold national institutions, Wapda workers could cut off electricity supply to the rulers’ residences, including the Prime Minister’s House and the President’s House and over 100,000 employees would stage a sit-in outside Parliament House.

Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBA) Secretary Information Sajjad Hussain Sajid said the government had been given a week for negotiations, either to convince the workers or be convinced. He said due to staff shortages, the lives of employees were at great risk, pointing out that four workers had died in Gujranwala a day earlier, two in Attock last week and several others in Islamabad while on duty.

He added that due to the severe shortage of staff, a single employee was forced to do the work of five, as no recruitment had taken place in Wapda over the past 10 years, leaving about 60,000 posts vacant.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2025