NAWABSHAH, Nov 7: Sacked employees of the United Bank have appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari to fulfill the promise of Benazir Bhutto by directing the government to reinstate those fired during the Nawaz Sharif government in 1997.

Chairman and President of UBL Retrenched Employees Action Committee Qurban Ali Memon and Wali Mohammed Memon, respectively, said that some 5,500 workforce promoted during the second tenure of Benazir Bhutto, were sacked during the Sharif government.

They said that the Federal Cabinet announced the reinstatement of all employees sacked by the PPP governments in 1993-96 except the UBL’s which was injustice as they were already victimised during the Nawaz government.

They said that other nationalised banks offered voluntary retirement scheme and golden handshake with attractive benefits while the UBL management sacked all those employees promoted during the PPP government in 1994.

They further said that late Benazir Bhutto not only condemned the action but also promised to reinstate all em-ployees once the PPP came into power.

They said that the UBL management in the name of golden handshake scheme sacked them forcibly with the help of law enforcement agencies and deprived them of compensation by adjusting it against loans and dues.

They said that the bank in the last 10 years have appointed thousands while the government retained 59 per cent share in it.

They said that out of 5,500 employees, some were appointed in other banks, few died, and the remaining reached the age of superannuation and only 1,500 employees could be reinstated.