LAKKI MARWAT, Feb 20: A senior local leader of Pakistan People’s Party on Wednesday demanded of the government to restrict Afghan nationals to refugee camps and speed up their repatriation.

Speaking at a party meeting here, PPP Lakki city president Haji Tarik Sikandary said Afghan refugees should be stopped from moving freely in the country in view of the current delicate security situation.

He said their presence outside specified refugee camps had adversely affected the business of local residents.

Mr Sikandary said Afghan refugees were a constant threat to the country’s security and therefore, the international community should help Pakistan repatriate Afghan refugees at the earliest.

During the meeting, another PPP leader, Haji Islam Gul, condemned the local Pesco authorities for the prolonged power outages in urban and rural areas of the district.

He said electric supply remained suspended for 18 to 20 hours daily to the misery of the people.

Mr Gul said several urban and rural areas were in the grip of water shortage as the prolonged loadshedding had rendered tube wells out of use.

He demanded of the relevant authorities to take notice of the situation and order the local Pesco officials to stop the unscheduled and excessive power cuts without delay.

Also in the day, scores of government employees put up a camp at District Headquarters Complex in Tajazai against the non-implementation of the Pay and Pension Committee’s recommendations.

The protesters led by Saeed Akhtar and Anwar Kamal said that the government’s reluctance to implement the pay and pension commission’s recommendations had caused unrest among government employees across the board.

They said denial of proper raise in salary and pension had stressed them out, especially in light of high inflation.

The protesters also complained of delay in approval of time-scale promotion formula for clerks and upgradation of various posts, including that of computer operator. They warned the government of agitation over reluctance to meet their demands.

Later, protesters dispersed, saying they would continue fighting for proper pay and pension raise, and time-scale promotion formula.

Earlier, former tehsil nazim Fareedullah Khan Meenakhel visited the camp and expressed solidarity with protesters.