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9 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 33/2001
Electricity workers in Pakistan have been staging protest strikes over the arrest of a union leader, according to reports reaching the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
Pirzada Imtiaz Syed, General Secretary of the ICEM-affiliated Pakistan WAPDA Labour Union (PWLU) was arrested on 1 June. WAPDA is the Pakistani electricity utility, currently facing privatisation plans.
Pirzada was arrested during a raid on the union's headquarters by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The raid was a very violent one, during which a member of the union staff had his arm broken, computers and other equipment were smashed and the PWLU's files were seized.
No reason was given for Pirzada's arrest.
It is understood that he is still being detained by the FIA in Lahore. An application for his release on bail was rejected yesterday. The judge reportedly said that Pirzada would be brought before a court on 12 June, but refused to specify the charges against him.
"If any criminal charges are to be preferred against Pirzada Imtiaz Syed, I request you to inform me of the nature of those charges," wrote ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs in a message to General Pervez Musharraf, the Chief Executive of Pakistan. "If no such charges have been brought, I urge you to ensure his immediate and unconditional release from detention. In either case, I request your assurance that he is being detained in humane conditions and is not subject to ill-treatment of any kind."
Higgs has also requested a meeting with Pakistan's chargé d'affaires in Brussels.
Pirzada Imtiaz Syed, General Secretary of the ICEM-affiliated Pakistan WAPDA Labour Union (PWLU) was arrested on 1 June. WAPDA is the Pakistani electricity utility, currently facing privatisation plans.
Pirzada was arrested during a raid on the union's headquarters by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The raid was a very violent one, during which a member of the union staff had his arm broken, computers and other equipment were smashed and the PWLU's files were seized.
No reason was given for Pirzada's arrest.
It is understood that he is still being detained by the FIA in Lahore. An application for his release on bail was rejected yesterday. The judge reportedly said that Pirzada would be brought before a court on 12 June, but refused to specify the charges against him.
"If any criminal charges are to be preferred against Pirzada Imtiaz Syed, I request you to inform me of the nature of those charges," wrote ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs in a message to General Pervez Musharraf, the Chief Executive of Pakistan. "If no such charges have been brought, I urge you to ensure his immediate and unconditional release from detention. In either case, I request your assurance that he is being detained in humane conditions and is not subject to ill-treatment of any kind."
Higgs has also requested a meeting with Pakistan's chargé d'affaires in Brussels.