SUKKUR, Nov 6: The accounts department, Pakistan Railways, Sukkur, has refused to pay pension to nearly 400 pensioners and the widows of employees who had been asked to come on Nov 15 to receive their pensions.

The payment of pensions has been stopped on the orders of the PR Headquarters, Lahore, on the plea that during the audit and verification of the pension payments a number of irregularities had been observed and major embezzlement was detected.

The pension records were being scrutinized and no pension would be provided till the process was complete. The retired employees and the widows lodged a strong protest.