KARAK, Jan 12: A local court on Saturday issued a stay order against recruitments made recently in health department and directed the district health officer to appear before the court on January 14 along with the relevant record.

The court of civil judge-II, Shazia Andaleeb, issued the stay order on the application of a citizen, Inayatur Rehman. Mr Rehman claimed in his plea that district health officer Dr Balqiaz had not followed merit in recent recruitment on 24 posts of different categories.

The court directed the Karak DHO to appear in the court on January 14 along with the relevant record.

MINERS STRIKE: The miners of Karak salt mines observed strike here on Saturday, demanding health and life insurance facilities and acceptance of their demands.

Addressing the miners at Lakani area, labour leader Mr Naveed alleged that Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation’s local managers of salt mines were responsible for the strike. He said that the miners would not let the managers to close the mines of Lakani, Bahaderkhel and other parts of the district through conspiracies. The miners regretted that not a single penny was paid to their colleagues injured in different incidents neither had they been compensated for their health expenses.

The speakers said that no safety gadgets and ambulance were provided to them. They alleged that the managers never bothered to visit the mines to know about problems of miners. They claimed that 300 miners had to face about one million rupees collective loss on daily basis due to the strike.

They said that the managers had doubled the price of explosive materials to Rs128 per kilgramme, which was not affordable for the poor miners.

The miners resolved that the strike would continue till acceptance of their demands. —Correspondent