KARAK: The employees of public health engineering department on Friday held a demonstration to protest non-payment of salaries for last many months.

Hundreds employees, including operators, linemen and chowkidars of various water supply schemes led Odeenur Rehman Khattak, gathered outside the office of the department’s deputy director.

They set a two-day deadline for payment of salaries, or they would extend their protest to other parts.

They said many employees were suspended for allegedly diverting water supply schemes to irrigate fields, thus their salaries were withheld.

The protesters claimed that the department punished hundreds of employees over fault of a few, saying the suspended employees’ families were facing hardships.

Later, the representatives of the protesters met with the department’s deputy director, who assured them of releasing their salaries soon. Later, the protesting employees dispersed.

PASHTO LANGUAGE: The office-bearers of different political parties have demanded of the provincial government to give Pashto the status of official language in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and to take steps for preservation of all regional languages.

The demand was made at a joint meeting of ANP and PkMAP workers at Karak city on Friday. Political activist Refiullah Khattak chaired the meeting.

The speakers said the Pashto language should be made medium of official correspondence and instruction in educational institutions.

They also regretted that Pashto language had not been declared a compulsory subject in schools. They said the nations not giving importance to their mother tongues failed to progress.

They regretted that there was no patronage of the Pashto language and other regional languages on part of the government. They said seminars should be held to inform the new generation about the history of their mother tongue.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2020