March 24, 2002	Sunday	Muharram 9, 1423

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NAWABSHAH, March 23: Workers of the Habib Sugar Mills Ltd, Nawabshah, who were sacked by the mills’ management, continued their token hunger strike opposite the Nawabshah Press Club for their reinstatement on Saturday.

They were joined by the activists of various political parties.

Nearly 200 employees/workers including 54 retainers, 13 daily wage earners and at least a 100 permanent employees were retrenched from service by the mill’s management on March 18.

Earlier on Friday, the judicial magistrate-II, Nawabshah, Zarina Abbasi, fixed the hearing of a direct complaint against the management of the Habib Sugar Mills (HSM) on March 28.

Qazi Mohammad Najeeb, general secretary, CBA, HSM, has filed a direct complaint against Asghar D. Habib, chairman, HSM, some other members of the mill administration, Mazhar Ali Heesbani, SHO, the taluka police station, Ghulam Nabi Kharal, SHO, the B- section police station, and Rasool Bux Jamali, official in charge, C-section police post.

The complainant alleged that the accused mill officials had terminated the services of 153 permanent employees of the HSM without adopting due course of law and due to this illegal act a mill worker, Mohammad Aslam Rajput, died due to mental trauma.

He said that the accused police officials with their subordinate staff, at the instance of the mill officials, injured him and other workers.

The complainant requested the court to take appropriate legal action against the respondents for their highhandedness and for not lodging his FIR.

Meanwhile, the general manager, Habib Sugar Mills Ltd, Nawabshah, said in a press conference on Saturday that a shortfall regarding the availability of sugarcane which continued during crushing season 2001-2002 due to water shortage, scanty rainfall, and drought-like conditions in the province, sugarcane was purchased on higher rates as a result of which the company decided to retrench surplus workers.

He said that the services of the surplus staff may be required at the start of the new crushing season.