Jiyala fails to get dues despite suicide bid

LAHORE
WHILE the PPP leadership was expressing solidarity with labourers, workers and peasants on the Labour Day, a poor jiyala associated with the Central Punjab Secretariat in Lahore was pleading for clearance of his over two years dues.
Iqbal Sialvi, one of the pioneer members of the PPP and a dedicated party worker, who spent several years of his life while working at the PPP Punjab Secretariat, Faisal Town, was shown the door when he demanded payment of his dues. He termed it a clear example of exploitation and double standards on the part of the incumbent party high command in Punjab.
Heartbroken Sialvi also attempted self-immolation last month after he was plainly refused the payment of his salary and other dues by PPP Central Punjab President Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo.
Talking to The News just a day after the Labour Day, Sialvi said “negative attitude by the PPP Central Punjab president compelled him to end his life.”
Giving details, Sialvi said after bulldozing of his shop at Railway Road, the constituency of the incumbent Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in 1997, PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto had directed the then Punjab chapter to fix a stipend for him. He was also working at the PPP Punjab office then.
Qasim Zia, the then PPP Punjab president, had fixed a monthly stipend for him which continued till Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo took the charge in the late 2012.
During that period, Iqbal Sialvi said, he paid utility bills of the party office and even salaries of some of the employees which he could afford then. He said he continued paying the utility bills for over two years as no funds were available for it. When all his savings were exhausted, he took up the matter with Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, who formed a committee comprising three members, including PPP Punjab General Secretary Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, Manzoor Maneka and Aurangzeb Burki to investigate veracity of his demand. By the end of 2014, an amount of Rs512,000 was payable to him by the Punjab office, said Sialvi.
After completing their inquiry, the Punjab office-bearers convinced Sialvi to get Rs397,000, as the remaining amount could not be paid due to financial constraints being faced by the party. Iqbal Sialvi agreed on it and the committee presented the report to the Punjab president. However, much to the shock of Sialvi, he was plainly refused any payment by the president and he couldn’t receive a single penny despite fighting his case for several months.
Sialvi said it was a matter of concern for the entire party that how a member having a 47 years long association with the PPP was being treated.
Manzoor Wattoo, President PPP central Punjab while talking to The News said the matter was brought to his notice and he had instructed provincial finance secretary to review it. He said if there was any amount due on party from Sialvi, it would be paid.