HYDERABAD, July 24: Some former employees of the Zeal Pak Cement factory continued their token hunger strike outside the press club for the 9th consecutive day on Wednesday in protest against the non-payment of their golden handshake and provident fund dues.

The protesters were led by Ikramuddin, S. M. Iqbal, and Mir Mohammed Junejo.

Some activists of the Labour Party of Pakistan, led by its provincial chairman, Dost Mohammed Channa, also observed token hunger strike to express solidarity with the Zeal Pak employees.

Talking to newsmen, Mr Channa said that the intrinsic value of the factory was Rs4 billion but it had been sold to Sikandar Jatoi for only Rs220 million and hundreds of workers were rendered jobless under the fraud of golden handshake scheme.

He said the government had also suffered losses to the tune of tens of millions of rupees over the years.

He said that 247 employees were given cheques which were dishonoured by the bank, and added that hundreds of other employees were given fake allotments of their quarters.

He condemned the criminal silence of the government on this issue although the families of the former employees were starving.

The Labour Party leader warned that if justice was not provided, the factory would be besieged.

PTI ELECTIONS: Mir Haider Ali Khan Talpur, the newly-elected provincial president of the Pakistan Tehrik-i- Insaf, has made it clear that his party will not enter into any alliance with the corrupt political leaders in the ensuing general elections.