SWABI: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company workers on Friday placed the body of lineman Kamran Khan on the road at the Karnal Sher Khan Chowk here to protest the killing, blasting the law enforcement agencies over their failure to provide protection to Pesco employees.

Kamran along with his colleagues, Hassan Mohammad and Luqman Khan, was returning from duty when a motorcyclist opened fire on them in Nawab Banda area of Maneri Payan on Thursday. As a result, Kamran died on the spot, while his colleagues were injured.

The protesters, who were accompanied by the four children of the deceased, raised slogans against the government for its failure to provide protection to the utility’s workers.

Gohar Taj, central chairman of Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union, Haji Iqbal Khan, the union’s provincial chairman, Nooral Amin, provincial general secretary and office-bearers of the body from Hazara and other regions were also present on the occasion.

Threaten to suspend power supply if killer not arrested in three days

Mr Taj announced three days of mourning over the killing and said that all the Pesco offices would remain closed across the district during the period.

The union’s leaders vowed that Pesco workers would continue boycotting duties till the killer were traced.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Iqbal asked the law enforcement agencies to trace the killer of the Pesco worker and give him exemplary punishment.

The speakers demanded of the Swabi police to provide security to the Pesco workers to enable them to do their job without any fear.

Meanwhile, due to the protest Pesco offices in the district headquarters and at the tehsil level remained closed, troubling the visitors.

On the other hand, the police continued efforts to trace the Pesco workers’ killer with the help of the CCTV footages.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued in Peshawar on Friday, Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, chairman Haji Mohammad Iqbal warned that if the killers of Kamran Khan were not arrested within three days, then the union would announce shutting down the electric supply across the province.

Mr Iqbal condemned the authorities’ failure to protect Pesco personnel and installations. He said Pesco workers were under tremendous workload as power utility was facing severe staff shortages, but they continued to run the system smoothly.

The union’s provincial chairman demanded of the government to register cases against the killers under ATA, and ensure their arrest forthwith.

Also on Friday, Wapda union members held a demonstration in Mardan against the killing of their colleague and injuring of two others in Swabi.

Following the protest, the union’s leaders addressed a news conference at the Mardan Press Club.

On the occasion, divisional chairman Mohammad Zubair Musakhel condemned the firing incident on the Pesco employees in Swabi.

He declared it a targeted killing, and gave the authorities three days to arrest the culprits, or they would devise their next line of action.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2024