Sindh, Jan. 7 -- Employees of Pakistan's Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) halted work in a pre-emptive show of resistance against their federal government's renewed plans to privatise electricity distribution firms, including their own.

The protest was spearheaded by the All Pakistan WAPDA Hydro and Electric Workers Union, which has issued a January 16 deadline for the government to respond to its demands, warning that failure to do so will spark nationwide demonstrations, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, hundreds of workers gathered at the union's labour hall near Haider Chowk before marching towards Hyderabad Chowk, where they staged a sit-in that choked traffic in the commercial hub for o...