Pakistan: Larkana development officials protest, demand 17-months outstanding dues

Larkana [Pakistan], May 13 : Larkana Development Authority (LDA) pitched a tent at the main gate of Jinnah Garden here on Wednesday to protest against non-payment of salaries for the past 17 months and demanded Chief Minister of Sindh province Murad Ali Shah's intervention to order the release of their salaries.
Protesters Nazeer Chandio, Mumtaz Bukhari, Akhtar Sandelo and others said that the LDA was the dream of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto to develop the Larkana division. But unfortunately, the following governments turned it non-functional, Dawn reported.
During the government of Benazir Bhutto in 2012, the LDA was made functional with the induction of 272 employees, said protesters. "Even then the institution remained unstable as it was ignored and had never received regular budget to keep its matters running," they alleged.
Despite scrutiny carried out thrice and inquiries conducted five times, the employees were exonerated from charges of any anomalies. Still, the then rulers kept the issue on the back burner, the protesters said.
Now 17 months had elapsed, but they were not paid salaries, they said and questioned for which crime they were being punished, Dawn reported.
It further reported that the protesters have appealed to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and other authorities to take notice of their plight and ensure the release of their 17-month salaries so that they could celebrate Eid with their families with dignity.