Engineers in KP deptts observe pen-down strike

PESHAWAR: Around 700 engineers serving in government departments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa began their province-wide pen-down strike Tuesday to protest the delay in notification of the technical allowance already approved by the provincial cabinet.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Association of Government Engineers had given the call for the protest at the general body meeting held in Peshawar on Monday.

The protesting engineers observed pen-down strike all over the province to record their protest. The striking engineers also assembled in Peshawar to reiterate their commitment to continue the protest until their demand was met.

Shakir Habib, the convener of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Association of Government Engineers, told The News that work came to a halt at the government offices where the protesting engineers were on duty. He said he had received reports that the pen-down strike took place in all districts of the province. “We will keep protesting until the issue is resolved,” he maintained.

According to Shakir Habib, the technical assistance was approved twice by the provincial cabinet in May and June during the previous rule of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

He argued that now that the PTI was back in power it should implement its previous cabinet’s decision by issuing the long-awaited notification.

He pointed out that a police allowance is already been paid to officers in the police department as it has already been notified. Besides, he said an executive allowance is being paid to the officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and Provincial Management Service (PMS) as this too was promptly notified once it was approved by the cabinet.

He noted that around 700 engineers serving in the C&W, irrigation, public health engineering, mines and minerals, planning and development, transport, health, Pedo and other departments and organizations have yet to be paid the technical allowance even though it was their right and had been twice approved by the KP cabinet.

When asked if the provincial government had made contact with the protesting engineers to discuss their demand, Shakir Habib said they had met the secretary finance and conveyed their viewpoint to the government.