BAHAWALPUR: The process of online payment of salaries to 35,000 employees of all 24 government departments and over 19,000 pensioners in the district was suspended on Monday as the Punjab Treasuries and Accounts Services Association launched third phase of protest at the district accounts ofñce.

According to the association`s local ofEce-bearers, the callfor the strike was given by their provincial body.

Earlier, during the first and second phases ofthe protest, the district accounts office employees wore black armbands and went on a two-hour token strike daily, respectively, for a week to press for the acceptance of theirtwo demands -upgrade of their posts and 20 per cent treasury allowance.

The protesting employees of all the 15 sections set up a protest camp in the porch of the district accounts office, where they displayed banners and placards inscribed with their demands.

Because of the strike the ofhcial work remained suspended, creating inconvenience for the government employees of other departments visiting the office for routine works Association president Muhammad Akhtar Ali and secretary general Muhammad Anees Tariq told Dawn at the protest camp that the bureaucracy had failed to implement Punjab chief minister`s directive with regard to their demands.

According to them, the CM had issued a directive in March, 2017 accepting their demands.

They alleged that Punjab finance secretary was creating hurdles in its implementation.

They vowed to continue thestrike tillthe acceptance oftheir demands.

The district accounts officer admitted that the process of online payment of salaries was disrupted but he hoped he would convince the protesting employees to return to work.

SAHIWAL: The Punjab Treasuries and Accounts Services Association (PTAA) went on a strike on Monday for an indefinite period for upgrade of their pay scales staff and provision of 20pc allowance.

It also warned of closing all the accounts offices of the province from today (Tuesday).

In Sahiwal, the local chapter of the PTAA held a protest camp on the office premises. The assoclation was on partial strike for the last four days and expanded its scope on Monday. Talking to Dawn at the protest camp, PTAA District President Umer Farooq said that in 2010 all the audit staff in the provincial metropolitan was ungraded from BPS-14 to 16 along with 20pc increase inallowance but the staff in district audit offices of the province was ignored.

Asghar Ali Gori, district general secretary of the PTAA, demanded upgrade of the staff and said that they would not work until acceptance of their demands.

RAHIM YAR KHAN: PTAA local chapter President Ghulam Muhammad and Secretary General Nazir Ahmed Gill, in a press release, said the senior auditors of BPS-16 were working in same office and similar work for last 10 years while the deputy accountants, doing same work, were still working in BPS14.

He alleged that the bureaucracy in the treasury department was responsible for the injustice as it did not send the summary for upgrade of deputy accountants despite the chief minister`s directive.

Former president APCA Rana Ehsanul Haq, All Pakistan Clerks Association educationunit President Mehboob Khan and Secretary General Nadeem Khan Durrani also joined the strike.

TOBA TEK SINGH: The employees of district accounts office locked offices, observed a complete strike and set up a protest camp outside the District Accounts Complex.

PTAA district chapter President Sher Afzal Mahuta demanded 20pc allowance and upgrade of their pay scales.

BAHAWALNAGAR: The treasury and audit staff held a sit-in at District Accounts Office.

The staff, attached with the finance department, launched the protest campaign against non-acceptance of their demands. The protesters were being led by the PTAA`s representatives, including Ahmad Bilal and Wasif Hussain Syed.

They said that despite verbal acceptance of their demands, the finance department high-ups were using delaying tactics in the resolution of their issue.