Pensioners call off protest after DC’s assurance

Rawalpindi

A large number of pensioners along with their families on Thursday locked down Rawalpindi city against non-payment of pensions for more than nine months. In the light of tense situation, the District Coordination Officer (DCO) Talat Gondal took an immediate action requesting angry protesters to stop protest demonstration assuring payment of all their outstanding dues within 15 days. 

On the request of District Coordination Officer (DCO), the angry protesters who had locked down Benazir Bhutto Road early in the morning called off their protest.

The District Coordination Officer (DCO), Rawalpindi Talat Gondal had called representatives of protesters in his office for talks. Talks of representatives and DCO continued for more than 2-hours while protesters blocked Benazir Bhutto Road during talks. On the assurance of DCO, the angry protesters called off their protest.

Municipal Workers League (MWL) City District Government Chairman Changez Bhatti, President Haji Muhammad Farooq, Senior Vice-President Malik Muhammad Shafiq and General Secretary Younas Gori told ‘The News’ that DCO has assured us to pay all pensions of pensioners within 15 days. “If DCO will back down on his promise, we will once again lock down Rawalpindi city for an indefinite period,” they warned.

Earlier in the morning, the protesters raised anti-government slogans while women and children lied down on road. The caravan of protesters started protest from College Road marched on Benazir Bhutto Road. As protesters reached Liaquat Bagh, the city district government, Rawalpindi sent some senior officials for talks and requested them to stop their protest demonstration.

Traffic got stuck up on all roads including Benazir Bhutto Road, College Road, China Market, Raja Bazaar, Fawara Chowk and Mareer Chowk.

On the other hand the sanitary workers did not lift garbage from the city during protest demonstration.

It is worth mentioning here that a large number of pensioners from the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and the District Council are on hunger strike against non-payment of pensions. Protesters, including women, have set up a camp near Liaquat Bagh on Murree Road.

They said that they have not been paid their pensions for the last nine months, which has left them in virtual poverty. They said that no one was ready to listen to their grievances while they have gone from pillar-to-post to get their pending dues. They said that the officials were only paying lip services to solve their problems, while the high-ups have kept mum over the issue.