GILGIT, Oct 10: The employees of Water and Power Department on Thursday suspended electricity to the entire Gilgit-Baltistan to protest against non-payment of their salaries according to regular pay scales.

Official sources said that about 4,300 temporary employees working on fixed pay of Rs4,000 a month were regularised and it was pledged that from July 2013 they would be paid full pay.

They said that earlier the WPD Employees Association took up the matter with the senior management who had assured them that their demand would be fulfilled. They said that several deadlines were issued by the association, but no one heeded to its demand.

`We were left with no option but to go on strike. If our demand goes unfulfilled we will observe strike for an indefinite period,` said Abdul Haleem, a protesting employee.

He said that it was their right to get full pay as per notification issued by the GilgitBaltistan government.

`With the meagre amount of Rs4,000 it is not possible to make both ends meet,` said Munawar Khan, a lineman.

When contacted, officials concerned said that the matter was taken up with the finance department, which was responsible for release of the funds.

They, however, claimed that the GB Finance Department had also been waiting for funds from Islamabad.

Meanwhile, people faced great hardship due to suspension of electricity to small industries, hospitals, hotels, and government as well as private offices.