16 April 2005	Saturday	06 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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PESHAWAR, April 15: NWFP Senior Minister Sirajul Haq has called upon government employees to perform their duties honestly and give full attention to solving problems of the masses.

He was addressing an oath-taking ceremony of the Civil Secretariat Class-IV Employees Association at Archives Hall Peshawar on Friday, said an official handout.

Mr Haq held out assurance that the MMA government would spare no efforts in solving the problems of low-paid employees and improving their working condition.

He said the government

officials belonged to the poor and middle classes of society while steps of the MMA government during previous two years were aimed at providing the basic amenities of life to the people.

He said exemption of property tax on five marla houses, provision of free textbooks to schoolchildren up to primary and secondary level, free emergency treatment in big hospitals and other welfare steps would directly benefit the poor of the province and government servants in particular.

The senior minister said the provincial government had provided all facilities to the contract employees as enjoyed by regular officials except pension so that they could perform duties with satisfaction.

The government, he said, had also taken steps to regularize surplus staff as most of them were low-grade employees.

However, he said the government officials had to follow the reward and punishment policy of the MMA government. He assured resolution of all genuine problems faced by Class IV employees.

Other speakers included Javed Khalil, president of the association, and other office-bearers, including Abdur Rehman Bacha, Muhammad Iqbal, Wazir Muhammad Afgar and Anwar Akbar.

JI ACCUSES PPP: The Jamaat-i-Islami has accused the People’s Party Parliamentarians of playing a double game by engaging in talks with the government on the one hand and clamouring for democracy on the other.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club, JI general secretary Syed Munawar Hassan said: “The PPP should finish this double game and join hands with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal against President Gen Pervez Musharraf.”

He said that the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and other component parties of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy were willing to support the MMA’s one point agenda of removing the government.