KARACHI: Over 17,000 workers and pensioners belonging to the Hindu community and associated with various civic agencies of the city will not be able to celebrate their annual Diwali festival properly because despite assur-ances from the government they have not been paid their advance salaries, municipal workers said on Saturday.

All Pakistan Local Government Workers Federation chief Zulfiqar Shah said Friday was the last working day before Diwali, which would be celebrated on Sunday, and as the advance salary promised by the governmentwas not paid on Friday while the banks and other financial institutions and civic agencies would remain closed for the next two days and would reopen on Monday, the workers belonging to the Hindu community would not be able to get their advance salary before Diwali and could not properly celebrate the festival.