January 18, 2002	Friday	Ziqa'ad 3, 1422

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FAISALABAD, Jan 17: The government has been asked to implement conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and abolish all discriminatory laws against women.

This was demanded by leaders of All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions while speaking at a seminar held here on Thursday.

They said the women should be given equal opportunity in all spheres of life to put the country on the path of progress and prosperity.

A majority of the labour force, they said, had reached on the verge of starvation in the wake of hike in the prices of consumer goods and high rate of inflation. The government should immediately raise the monthly wages of labourers by 100 per cent.

Speakers alleged that labour laws were being violated with impunity by owners of mills and factories with the connivance of government functionaries.

Labour leaders — Abdul Jabbar, Bashir Shakir, Nazima Shahzadi, Sajida Shakir, Naseem Akhtar, Shahana Karim, Razia Begum, Osama Tariq and others — spoke on the occasion.

HOTEL INDUSTRY: The local Hotels and Restaurants Owners Association has asked president Pervez Musharraf to announce a comprehensive policy to save the hotel industry from crisis.

Talking to newsmen here on Thursday, association office-bearers Musarrat Nadeem and Najam Hameed said powers delegated to elected representatives for raiding marriage parties would create law and order problems.

They said the hotel industry was depositing millions of rupees in taxes to the government, but still it was facing problems due to the negligence of authorities concerned.

UPLIFT SCHEMES: At least 10 uplift schemes will be completed with an expenditure of Rs11.04 million under the Annual Development Programme in the rural areas of the district.