03 May 2004	Monday	12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, May 2: The All-Pakistan Clerks Association has decided to hold demonstrations in all districts of the country on May 6 to press for a substantial increase in pay and allowances of government employees in the federal budget.

In a statement here on Sunday, Punjab APCA President Mohammad Afzal said the association had decided to organize demonstrations due to President Musharraf's statement that pay and allowances would be increased after the repatriation of Rs55 billion taken out of the country by influential personalities.

He said the association was of the view that the statement had been given only to raise false hopes in respect of repatriation of the huge amount from abroad. The government employees could not wait for the 'impossible' repatriation of money because the prices of essential commodities and unities were going up continuously due to defective government policies, he said.

He said the demonstration in the provincial metropolis would be held outside the Lahore Press Club.