MIRPURKHAS: Scores of employees of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and office-bearers of the All Pakistan Clerks Association (Apca), Mirpurkhas unit, staged a demonstration outside the local press club on Monday to protest suspension of Apca president and others by the board’s chairman during ongoing protest campaign against alleged corruption.

Apca leaders Arshad Zubair, Asim Hashmi, Nadeem Ahmed Khan and others, who led the protest, condemned the chairman, Barkat Ali Haidery, and the acting secretary, Anisuddin Siddique, over their ‘illegal action’ against the Apca office-bearers to pressurise them to stop the anti-corruption drive against them.

They accused both the officers of being involved in gross corruption. Claiming that the board’s bank accounts had emptied, they alleged that the two officers had misappropriated millions of rupees through bogus vouchers and bills, rendering the board administration unable even to pay salaries to employees regularly.

They said that when they raised objections and exposed corruption, the officers started victimising and harassing them and other employees by issuing illegal notices, explanation letters and suspension orders.

They said that the board administration forced many employees to remain at home that day to avoid their participation in the protest demonstration.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2023