Protest: PESCO employees rally against FIA

Demand release of five colleagues arrested by the agency.

ABBOTABAD:

Pesco employees from different parts of Hazara Division rallied in Abbottabad on Friday against the arrest of their colleagues by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). 

The rally started from the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) office in Abbottabad.

The protesters marched on different roads and gathered at Fawara Chowk, suspending traffic on the Karakoram Highway for about 30 minutes.

They chanted slogans against FIA authorities and demanded the release of five Pesco employees, who were earlier arrested for being employed against Pesco’s rules and regulations.

Addressing the protesters, the speakers explained that five new staff members, who had been hired on Wapda Employee’s Son’s Quota, were arrested even though their recruitment was done according to the procedures laid down by Pesco authorities.

They termed the arrest as unlawful and demanded the Supreme Court chief justice and Peshawar High Court chief justice to take suo motu action on the issue.

They also demanded an immediate release of their colleagues and a judicial probe into the incident. They said more than 25,000 Pesco employees would camp in front of the Chief Minister House in Peshawar on October 10 if their colleagues aren’t released.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2011.