Lahore electric supply company: Dispute over CEO appointment resolved

LAHORE: After a tussle over taking reins of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) for the past four days, newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sharafat Ali Sial has taken charge of the power utility. Sial took office after a court rejected petition of former CEO Saleem Akhtar challenging the new appointment and seeking a stay. Earlier, Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) had appointed Sial as CEO of Lesco, but he could not assume charge as the Lahore company’s administration did not allow him to enter its premises. Things got worse when the company’s board of directors, in a bid to prevent Sial from taking office, extended services of Akthar for two years. The head office of Lesco even remained closed on Saturday as the row could not be resolved and confusion prevailed who would run the affairs of the company. He previously served as chief engineer of National Transmission and Dispatch Company and as senior instructor in Wapda’s engineering academy in Faisalabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2011.