The Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Labour Union (PWHELU) of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Wednesday held a protest against delays in recovery of their abducted colleagues working on the Gomal Zam Dam project.
The protest was held outside the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) on Wednesday, a day before the deadline given by the court to recover the workers “by any means”. A large number of Water and Power Development (Wapda) workers participated along with family members of the abducted workers.
Addressing the gathering, PWHELU’s provincial chairman Haji Muhammad Iqbal criticised the provincial government for slacking. “Intelligence agencies can trace abductors easily,” he said, adding that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure the safety of citizens.
Protestors also held banners and placards against the provincial government for failing to recover the workers.
Eight workers were abducted in South Waziristan Agency by unidentified armed men while returning home for Eidul Fitr on August 16. One of the workers is reported to be dead.
Since then these employees have been in custody of Taliban militants, who are demanding Rs160 million as ransom along with the release of 17 high-profile militants from prison.
On December 13, a bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) directed K-P governor and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) Secretariat officials to ensure their recovery within a week.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2012.
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