HARIPUR: The workers of Heavy Electrical Complex (HEC), Hattar, have not been paid their salaries for the last two months, as the Ministry of Industries and Production (MOIP) has not yet released the required amount for the purpose, official sources say.

According to the employees, they have been facing financial problems as the HEC management has not paid them salaries of two months.

“I have been buying grocery items on credit, but the local shopkeeper has stopped the routine supply to my family as I failed to pay him the pending amount,” Namroz Khan, a worker, told this correspondent. He said he might not be able to pay his gas and electricity bills if the situation persisted.

According to sources in the office of deputy director labour, Hazara division, the labor officer, Haripur, visited the HEC on Aug 31 following workers’ complaints and after confirmation of nonpayment of salaries filed a case with the local labour court.

Through the formal litigation, the labour officer argued that nonpayment of salaries was a violation of section 3 of the KP Payment of Wages Act, 2013, and the administration was liable to be punished under section 20 (1) of the same law.

The labour officer, according to a letter written to the factory management on August 26, asked for payment of salaries.

However, the factory’s head of human resource management in a reply clarified that the management had written to the MOIP, Islamabad, on Aug 16 for release of the salaries, and the response was still awaited.

KILLED: A man allegedly shot dead his brother over a property dispute in the limits of Kot Najibullah police station here the other day, police said.

They said Nasir Shehzad and his brother Asim Shehzad had developed differences over property and were engaged in litigation. On Tuesday, Nasir allegedly opened fire with a pistol, killing Asim on the spot.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2021