KARACHI: The Federal Labour Minister Mr Mohammad Hanif, yesterday [Sept 19] asked the KPT workers to call off the illegal strike, resume duty, and restore the atmosphere of understanding ... as a pre-condition to sympathetic consideration of their genuine grievances, if any, by the Government. At the same time, the Minister warned `political opportunists to keep their hands off the scene and desist from clouding` the atmosphere adding that the Government was `maintaining a close watch over the situation and was prepared to move against anybody ... who tried to capitalise` [on] the situation.

Stating that the Government `always preferred interests of its employees to all otherconsiderations`...hesaidthestatements of certain Opposition circles had further confirmed that the strike was `politically motivated, aiming at crippling the national economy, disrupting industrial peace and creating lawlessness in the country`.

[Meanwhile,] Pakistan will have to wait for the right to overfly India before deciding to start its air services to Nepal, it was officially stated. ... Meanwhile, officials stated that the Royal Nepalese Airlines will start a direct Kathmandu-Karachi service sometime in December.