PESHAWAR:
On the call of the central leadership of the All Pakistan Hydropower Workers Union WAPDA, workers of the three power distribution companies of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa staged protests across the province against the proposed privatization of WAPDA, non-recovery of abducted PESCO employees in Bannu, recruitment delays, job insecurity, rising inflation and unemployment.
The main protest took place in front of the Peshawar Press Club, led by provincial president Haji Muhammad Iqbal, secretary Noorul Amin Haiderzai, vice-president Yasir Kamran, vice-president Shafiullah, information secretary Gohar Ali Gohar, TESCO regional secretary Liaqat Ali, GSC zonal president Anwar Mahmood and GSO zonal president Abdul Jabbar Khan. Hundreds of workers took part in the rally, holding placards and chanting slogans against the government’s privatization policy.
Addressing protesters, union leaders said it was the state’s responsibility to provide security, free health care and education to citizens and government employees. They criticized the government’s privatization drive, saying the “failed experiment” of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (K-Electric) should serve as a warning.
They warned that privatization of WAPDA would not only increase unemployment but also lead to further hikes in electricity prices, thereby increasing the economic burden on the poor and negatively impacting the national economy.
Stakeholders urged the Federal Government and the Ministry of Power (Power Division) to reconsider their decision to privatize WAPDA and instead introduce reforms within the organization. They demanded the dissolution of the electricity distribution companies (DISCO) and their merger with WAPDA in order to strengthen the institution.
The union also demanded the safe recovery of five PESCO employees kidnapped in Bannu on September 12, 2025, as well as immediate recruitment to fill vacant positions. Stakeholders noted that understaffing has increased the workload of existing employees, leading to inefficiency, increased electricity theft and non-payment of consumers.
