Jamaat-e Islami (JI) has strongly condemned baton charge and use of tear gas on protesting workers of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) and has termed it was anti-democratic step. It is pertinent to mention that the workers of the KESC had while using their democratic right, staged a protest demonstration and wanted to stage a sit-in at the Fountain Chowk near Sindh governor house in favour of their demands.
JI spokesman has said that Sindh governor had played a role of solicitor and the workers had ended their month long protest sit-in on governor’s assurances for settlement of their issues. However, workers problems persisted unchanged and the governor had failed to fulfill his promise.
The spokesman further said that the workers had no other option except to use their democratic right and stage a protest sit-in but they were subjected to brutal treatment and severe baton charge. Rights of the workers could not be usurped through any act of savagism.
He said that due to inefficiency of the KESC, Karachi was plunged into darkness, industries faced lock-out and factory workers have been rendered jobless. The KESC has exploited its consumers and despite repeated increase in electricity tariff it had failed to ensure uninterrupted supply to its residential, commercial and industrial consumers.
He assured the workers of the KESC that JI would continue supporting them until they get their usurped rights restored. He demanded immediate action against those that baton charged the workers and used tear gas to disperse them.