Struggle for ‘power’: ‘Privatisation will only make electricity more expensive for people’

HYDERABAD:

The workers and officers unions of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) have joined hands to offset the government’s plan to privatise the power distribution companies (DISCOS).

The All Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Workers Union and the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company’s officers union held protest demonstrations in all the districts of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions on Wednesday.

“The government has become fixated with the privatisation drive. If allowed, it will even privatise the armed forces,” said Abdul Latif Nizamani, central president of the All Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Workers Union, while addressing a large rally in Hyderabad. The 25th Council of Common Interests meeting in Islamabad on February 10, attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and all the four provincial chief ministers, announced privatization of DISCOS after the provinces refused to take their ownership.

Nizamani, however, reiterated his old stance that the privatisation process, which started in the 1990s, has only harmed the power sector and made electricity expensive for the people. The HESCO Officers Association’s leader Riaz Khan said privatisation will make electricity more expensive and will also lead to downsizing in all the DISCOs.

The two unions announced that they will hold a sit-in outside the parliament house in Islamabad on March 18.

“Our sit-in will continue until the government withdraws its decision,” declared Iqbal Qaimkhani, general secretary of the All Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Workers Union.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2014.