ISLAMABAD, Feb 26: Legal papers (revenue stamp papers) are not available in local courts and pensioners have not been paid, ever since the Federal Treasury Office (FTO) and Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) went on strike, demanding pay increase, three weeks ago.

Important to note that AGPR is responsible for pension disbursements, while FTO for legal stamp papers.

FTO

“There are no legal papers, courts and legal system of the capital territory is short of these revenue stamp papers,” a lawyer at capital’s district and session courts told Dawn.

He said that the legal system was facing shortage of legal papers for the last two weeks but the government was indifferent over the matter.

According to one official selling legal papers in the F-8 local court premises, the legal papers were short and the FTO were not issuing the papers.

The FTO according to the official, worked under the ministry of finance and issues legal papers to the registered revenue stamp paper sellers.

Meanwhile, when approached, the office of the deputy commissioner (DC) regarding the limited availability of legal papers in the civic courts, DC Aamir Ali Ahmed said: “We are aware of the shortage of legal papers and have already given directions to the district collector revenue Firasat Ali Khan in this regard.”

“We will ensure the availability of the legal papers in the market,” claimed the deputy commissioner.

When asked about the strike, he said: “The administration will try to resolve the matter and raise the matter at an appropriate level for speedy resolution of the issue.”

He said that in case any seller charges abnormal prices for the legal paper, the buyers of legal papers should lodge a complaint with the office of district collector revenue.

AGPR

On the other hand, one accounts officer at the AGPR maintained: “AGPR is looking for 100 per cent increase in salaries, a special accounts and revenue allowance from the government and until it is not resolved our strike will continue.”

It is pertinent to mention that AGPR main office is almost closed because of the strike called by the accounts officers of different wings at the revenue office.

“We are waiting for written orders from the office of the Prime Minister and in case the written orders for the increase of salaries of the AGPR office are not issued by the  federal government, we will continue our strike,” asserted an AGPR official.

He said that it was not just the FTO which was on strike but number of departments at the office of the AGPR led to delay in payments released to different departments of the federal government. The official said that pensioners are the worst effected people.

Pensioner woes

“I could not settle an issue with the AGPR office related to my pension. Every time I visited the AGPR office, I was told that officials are on strike,” said Niaz Mohammad, a retired peon from a federal ministry.Despite multiple attempts, no official of the finance ministry or AGPR were available to comment on the matter.