BAHAWALPUR, Nov 13: The All Pakistan Clerks Association (Apca), Punjab chapter, has announced a demonstration outside Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Lahore on Nov 18 to press for the acceptance of their demands.

Apca Punjab President Afzal Mabood told an oath-taking ceremony of local office-bearers here on Thursday they were trying to meet Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif to apprise him of their demands. He said if the secretariat staff did not give them appointment, clerks would demonstrate outside the CM office. He said the APCA demanded better pay scales, selection grades and medical and other allowances.

Punjab Minister for Special Education Malik Iqbal Channar, chief guest at the ceremony, said their demands would be conveyed to the chief minister.

NO FUNDS: District Nazim Tariq Cheema said that due to the Punjab government’s policy to hold funds, all development works had been at a standstill for the past several months in the district.

Mr Cheema told Pakistan Muslim League-Q district secretary–general Salahuddin Jilani that legislative assembly members had inaugurated the schemes completed by district and tehsil councils in the district. He demanded that the government release the held-up funds and provide grants for new schemes.

CONSUMER CONNECTION: District Consumer Court Judge Muhammad Rashid Qamar on a complaint ruled that in case of the closure of a telephone connection, the telephone could not charge its bill and line rent from the connection holder. On court’s order, Daewoo bus service paid Rs20,000 as damages to Muhammad Akhtar Qureshi who complained that his parcel was not delivered by the company on time.