TAXILA - The protest of technical and clerical staff of Islamabad Electric Supply Cooperation (IESCO) spread to entire region on Friday as hundreds of employees working in Taxila, Wah, Hassanabdal, Attock, Jehlum, Chakwal and Rawalpindi remained on tools down and pen down strike to register their protest against registration of criminal cases against their colleagues on the directives of Federal Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali. They vowed to continue their strike till withdrawal of cases. The operation and maintenance work of IESCO on standstill for second consecutive day as employees, supervisors and officers remained on strike causing immense problems and inconvenience for consumers.

The angry and charged IESCO officials from Taxila, Wah, Hassanabdal, Attock, Jehlum, Chakwal and Rawalpindi carrying placards and banners and chanting anti-government slogans on Friday took out protest rally from the local IESCO offices complex and after marching on GT road gathered at Taxila main Chowk where they staged a sit-in for over two hours suspending traffic on Rawalpindi-Peshawar route.

Addressing the protesters, WAPDA Hydro Electric Labour Union Regional Vice Chairman Raheem Shah and Zonal Chairman Sammar Shah Bukhari vowed to continue their strike in the IESCO entire circle to register their protest what they called “unjustified” action against their two colleagues by registration of criminal cases against them.