SWABI: Former employees of Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL) have demanded payment of arrears to help them cope with the high inflation.

Speaking at a meeting held here on Monday, the PTCL employees’ provincial secretary information Mohammad Zarshad, provincial chairman Ikramullah, coordinator Haji Sadiq and others said a three-member Supreme Court bench had directed the relevant officials on June 12, 2015 to pay arrears to the employees retired in 2008. However, they said they had been running from pillar to post to get the arrears, but to no avail.

On the occasion, Mr Zarshad said many retired employees had died, and asked the officials concerned to have mercy and pay the outstanding amount to the helpless families.

MEETING: The tobacco growers will hold a protest meeting in Sara Cheena area of Razaar tehsil on Tuesday (today) under the banner of Ittehad Kashtakaran Pakhtunkhwa to press the Pakistan Tobacco Board to announce the tobacco price before wheat cultivation.

The farmers from all tobacco growing districts, including Swabi, Mardan Charsadda, Buner and Mansehra, would participate to adopt a joint line of action.

Briefing mediapersons, Liaqat Yousafzai, a spokesperson of Etihad Kashtakaran, said Sardar Hussain Babak, Chairman of KP Assembly’s Standing Committee and member Ahmed Karim Khan Kandi would also participate in the meeting.

He said as per the law, PTB announced the price of tobacco before wheat cultivation. He said the growers would stage protest demonstrations if the decision to fix tobacco price was not made forthwith.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2022