LAHORE, Dec 29: Former employees of the Digital Radio Paging Limited alleged on Saturday that the company had wound up its operations in Lahore without paying their dues.

They claimed that the local high-ups had distributed the office furniture and equipment among themselves to ‘adjust’ it against their salaries.

Muhammad Ishaq told Dawn that he had worked in the technical wing of the DRPL. He said had resigned about six months ago. He said the company did not pay him Rs22,000, deducted from his salary as his contribution to the provident fund.

He said had been promised the payment on Saturday evening. Instead, he said, senior officials had removed the equipment and furniture to their houses without any notice.

Another former employee, Asad Manzoor, said he had filed a suit against the DRPL in a labour court to recover his dues. The company, he said, had asked him to withdraw the case and settle the issue out of court. On Saturday, he said, he tried to contact the office but there was no response.

He alleged that the firm had not paid the rent for the office for the last three months.

DRPL branch manager Akhtar Ayub said the equipment and furniture had been removed to hand over the premises to the landlord.

Admitting that the equipment had been distributed among certain officers, he said it could not be stored in a single house. He said he would act upon advice from the head-office. “If they say it is to be sold to pay the employees we will proceed. If they want to adjust it against our salaries we will comply.”