May 4, 2002	Saturday	Safar 20, 1423

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QUETTA, May 3: The Balochistan government has decided to recruit over 1,100 employees in Grade 1 to 11 on contract basis in the civil secretariat to replace the striking employees.

The provincial government has invited applications for different posts, including senior-scale stenographers, assistants, junior-scale stenographers, clerks, Naib Qasid, watchmen, security guards and gardeners.

According to official sources, the department concerned has issued advertisements to local newspapers for the required posts. The interested candidates with the required educational qualification have been asked to submit their applications up to May 10. Interviews for these posts would be held on May 15.

The provincial government has taken serious note of the continuing strike of the Civil Secretariat employees since April 13, and decided to recruit new employees on temporary basis to do official work.

Various government departments whose employees have been observing strike for the last three weeks have already issued show-cause notices to them, terming their strike illegal and unlawful. They have been warned to report on duty or they will lose their jobs.

The provincial government had already stopped paying salaries to the striking employees. The Accountant General of Balochistan announced that the salaries of the striking employees had not been sent to the banks.

Only those employees would be paid their salaries who were not taking part in the strike, the AG Balochistan said.

The employees of the Quetta district, who are on strike, are demanding 40 per cent utility and special allowance. They argue that employees of other 25 districts of Balochistan are already getting this allowance.

The government has offered the striking employees a 20 per cent allowance but they have declined to accept it and vowed to continue strike till the acceptance of their demands.