MULTAN, May 15 Dozens of contract employees of the Zakat and Ushr Department staged a rally on Friday in protest against the government's failure to regularise their jobs.

The rally started from Nawan Shehr Chowk and culminated outside the press club where the protesters also staged a sit-in.

Addressing the protesters, Zakat and Ushr Employees Association President Muhammad Riaz Gujar demanded the regularisation of the employees on contract and an increase in salary.

He demanded that all future recruitments be made on permanent basis.

Mr Khan said employees on contracts were disappointed with the attitude of the government towards them. Traffic on Abdali Road remained suspended for two hours due to the rally.

PASSPORT OFFICE Official workings returned to the regional passport office after contract employees of the department called off their strike after their successful negotiation with high officials of the department in Islamabad.

The issue of passports countrywide came to a halt three days ago due to the strike of the officials at the head office of the department in Islamabad, provincial offices and regional office as the employees of the machine readable passport phase-I project feared their contracts would expire on June 30.

The project began in 2004 and staff was appointed on contract with a salary package of Rs6,500 per month while in 2008 when the phase II of the project was launched the salary of new contract staff was Rs10,000 per month each.