Promotions reversed: 15 FESCO officers demoted

FAISALABAD: The Water and Power Sanitation Authority (Wapda) on Wednesday cancelled the promotions of 15 officers saying the beneficiaries had blackmailed the higher authorities into promoting them. The cancellation orders were issued by Wapda Secretary Imtiaz Tajwar directing the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) authorities to demote 15 recently promoted officers. He said the Fesco Engineers’ Association pressured the authorities for these promotions by threatening protests on the pretext of privatisation of power sector. Fesco had promoted these officers from grade 19 to grade 20. Following the cancellation orders, Fesco employees staged a demonstration, locking Fesco human resources director general’s office and broke his nameplate. They chanted slogans against the authorities and demanded withdrawal of demotion orders. They dispersed after Fesco Chief Executive Officer Tariq Chattha assured them that he would take up the issue with the authorities.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2012.