The political and social leadership of Hazara has become
abuzz with protests over the alleged recruitments in Hazara Electric Supply
Company (HAZECO).
The claimants for the rights of the Hazara people have
raised strong questions with the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Qazi
Tahir on the transparency of the recruitments and termed the recruitment
process of more than 118 people as suspicious. The matter is now taking the
form of a major public movement in the Hazara region, in which local youth have
been accused of denying them the right to employment.
Former provincial assembly candidate from Basti Sher Khan,
Sohail Sher Khan Jadoon, along with senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Kamran Ahmed Mughal and others have jointly put the management of Hazara
Electric Supply Company on the dock through a press conference and statements.
The leadership takes a stance that the rights of the local
people have been grossly ignored in the recruitments being made by the company.
Sultan-ul-Arifeen Khan Jadoon and Zulqarnain Khan Jadoon have demanded that CEO
Qazi Tahir immediately bring the complete details of the recruitments of more
than 118 people to the media. They challenged that if these recruitments are on
merit and the local people of Hazara have been represented in them, then why does
the management feel the need to hide the details?
The most serious allegation of the Hazara leadership is
related to the recruitment of officers of grades 17, 18, 19 and 20. They have
asked the CEO that how many officers from grades 17 to 20 have been recruited
in Hazara Electric Supply Company and from which areas do these officers
belong?
The leaders have demanded that it would be better if the
names of all these officers and their domicile details are published in
newspapers so that the difference between truth and lies can be revealed to the
public. They said that the people of Hazara are deeply saddened and angry at
not seeing their own youth being provided employment opportunities in their own
resources and companies.
Another major objection to the administration is the
procedure for recruiting employees from scales 1 to 15. According to the
officials of the Hazara Province Movement, recruitment on these scales should have
been done at the local level as per the company’s manifesto and code of
conduct, but this was not done.
The most worrying thing is that these low-level posts are
being ‘outsourced’ and filled by contractors. This move has been termed as a
gamble with the future of local youth. The Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union
has also taken legal action on this issue and has obtained a stay order from
the High Court against this ‘outsourcing’. The next hearing of this case is
scheduled for April 6, 2026, on which the eyes of the entire Hazara region are
fixed.
The local youth of Hazara, who are already grinding in the
mill of unemployment, are now very disappointed at not getting jobs in the
companies being set up on their own land. Hazara leaders say that the people of
Hazara have the first right to employment in the electricity company, as this
institution was created for the convenience of the people of Hazara.
The Hazara leadership, while addressing CEO Qazi Tahir,
has said that now is the time to take notice of public complaints. Keeping
silent or suppressing the facts can further aggravate the situation. It has
been demanded that all recruitments be independently investigated through
transparent investigations.
Recruitments from Scale 1 to 15 should be made on a local
basis and the contract system should be abolished. The list of all those
recruited should be released through the media.
This recruitment dispute in Hazara Electric Supply Company
is now seen to be becoming a movement. After the court date of April 6, 2026,
Hazara National Movement and other organizations will announce their next
course of action. If there is no positive response from the administration, the
people of Hazara reserve the right to take to the streets and surround the
company's offices.
This situation is also a test for the higher authorities
whether they give importance to the legitimate demands of the public or
continue to support the unfair decisions of the bureaucracy. The message of the
Hazara people is clear that "we have the first right over our resources,
and we are not ready to make any compromise for our right.
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