Pakistan: Power workers hold rally against price hike, privatisation

Lahore [Pakistan], February 3 : Hundreds of electricity workers in Pakistan held a rally on Wednesday for better working culture and better services for power consumers, local media reported.
The All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union organised rallies to oppose the proposed privatisation of the power distribution companies and thermal power stations at the behest of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dawn reported.
Rallies were held at Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Multan, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Quetta and other major cities.
Hundreds of workers organised a rally outside Lahore Press Club and the participants, carrying banners in support of their demands, raised slogans against privatisation and price hike.
According to Dawn, Union secretary-general Khurshid Ahmad demanded that Prime Minister Imran Khan intervene and check the high prices of essential commodities. He demanded action against the profiteers and hoarders.
He pointed out that electricity field workers were becoming victims of accidents while performing their duties. The decisions to fill vacant posts were not implemented for more than five and a half years, he said. He announced organising workers' march on Islamabad if their demands were not accepted, Dawn reported.
It further reported that the rally also passed a resolution demanding safety to the field staff during the prevention of theft of electricity.