Late salaries irk blind government employees in Dera Ghazi Khan

Demonstrators block roads at Musharaf, Kacheri chowk

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Visually impaired government servants in Dera Ghazi Khan staged a protest on Thursday over the non-payment of salaries for the last four months

The rally began from Musharaf Chowk and the protest was at Kacheri Chowk. The disgruntled employees blocked traffic at Kacheri Chowk for three hours.

The blind employees are daily wagers working on contracts. Outstanding payments were due from the special education and social welfare department of the Municipal Corporation.

They held white sticks and chanted slogans while also calling on the authorities to release the payments.

''The visually impaired have always borne the brunt of injustices at the hands of the government,'' Hafiz Abdul Razaq, blind association divisional president, said.

''A quota has been fixed for the physically and mentally challenged in government institutions, but we are still not receiving salaries on time,'' he added.

''Just like any able-bodied employee, we perform our duties diligently,'' Razzaq said.



He said that the staff had written to senior officials in this regard but to no avail.

''It is our right to receive salaries for our hard work on time,'' said Muhammad Irfan, another protester.

Abdul Samad, another blind employee, said that the physically challenged do not want to be a burden on their families or society, so they should be paid on time.

Muhammad Saleem, another protester, said that due to non-payment for the past three months, the families of the protesters now face problems at home.said that when they approach the deputy commissioner, he sends them to the mayor, who then claims he has no authority to resolve the issue.

He said that when they approached the deputy commissioner, he sends them to the mayor, who then claims he has no authority to resolve the issue.

The employees implored Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take notice of their situation and instruct the mayor's office and social welfare department to release the overdue amount.