LOWER DIR: The retired government employees here on Sunday demanded of the government to announce 25 per cent increase in their monthly pension like the pay raise of its serving employees.

The demand was made during a rally arranged by All Pakistan Pensioners Association (APPA) outside Timergara Press Club. The retired government employees from the federal and provincial departments attended the rally and chanted slogans in favour of their demand.

Addressing the rally, APPA’s district chairman Abdul Khaliq, president Abdul Hameed and general secretary Shah Badshah complained that the government had been ignoring its retired workers for the last two years.

Insist serving and retired employees be treated equally

They said the government had recently announced a 25 per cent increase in the salaries of serving employees, but there was no raise in the pensions of retired workers.

They said inflation had affected the serving and retired employees equally, so the government should have announced an increase in the pensions too.

The speakers said that the pensioners were unable to properly feed their families owing to price hike. They threatened to stage protest sit-ins in Peshawar and Islamabad on March 3 if their demand was not accepted.

Meanwhile, the residents of Dodkhana village held a protest demonstration against Pesco officials for their failure to restore power supply to the village during the last eight days.

Talking to mediapersons, the villagers, including Mukhtiar Ahmad, Irshad and others, alleged they had paid the Pesco officials Rs20,000 for repair of their power transformer, but the power supply had not been restored as yet.

EX-COUNCILLOR JOINS PTI: Awami National Party’s former councillor Naib Khan on Sunday announced to quit his party and joined Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf along with his supporters during a function held at Kohery Malakand.

The function was addressed by special assistant to chief minister on anti-corruption Shafiullah Khan and MNA Mehboob Shah.

Mr Shafiullah said the government had approved Rs33 billion for extension of Chakdara-Chitral main road and the work would start soon. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan would inaugurate the project.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2021