Hundreds of electricity/MEPCO workers held a large protest rally at Chowk Nawan Shehr , marching in a large procession from MEPCO head quarter under the aegis of All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union CBA. The rally was led by Secretary General Khursheed Ahmed Khan,Ghulam RasulGujjar, Sajjad Baloch Shakil Baloch, Ikram-ul-Haq Alvi,Mukhtar Ahmed Bukhari Tariq Mehmood Bhatti Ch.Mehmood Amjad ,Altaf Mahar,Atif Zaidi, .They were carrying the red flags ,national and Kashmir flags and chanting slogans against privatisation of national profitable public utilities of electricity including MEPCO and Guddu Power Station on the behest of IMF. Veteran trade union leader Khurshid Ahmad, general secretary of the union, reminded the Prime Minister that he had committed to establish Madina State and Nia Pakistan before elections, adding that he had said that national public utilities alike electricity would not be privatized. The bitter and failed experience of privatization of Karachi Electric Supply Company had not only miserably failed but also the company had been failing to pay the lawful electricity dues of Wapda and water and gas worth of billion of rupees and other public utilities. He highlighted that the cost of electricity had risen far higher by privatization of thermal generation by IPP in comparison with the cost of generation of Wapda and GENCO thermal generation companies. He demanded to the Prime Minister to intervene and order not to privatize national profitable public utilities of Lahore and Islamabad Electric Supply Companies and Guddu’s 747 megawatts power station in the wider public interest.Later they dispersed peacefully.
