HARIPUR, May 12: A protest procession was taken out by former workers of the Telephone Industries of Pakistan (TIP), Haripur, against the proposed privatization of the industry and the abolition of pension rights of the retired workers here on Wednesday.

A number of in-service workers, labour leaders, social workers and TIP's retired workers participated in the procession. The Privatization Commission had okayed the privatization of TIP, a subsidiary of the Pakistan Telecommunication Limited, some time back.

The procession started from Haripur Tehsil Municipal Hall and culminated at the main chowk where speakers criticized the proposed privatization of TIP and termed it a part of a conspiracy hatched to deprive a majority of workers of the means of livelihood.

They said the conspirators facilitated shifting of the department of Carrier Telephone Industry from Haripur to Islamabad and they were now bent on privatizing TIP which would, according to them, harm the district's economy and result in unemployment. They accused the successive governments for deliberately ignoring TIP.