HARIPUR, Feb 14 Former workers of Pak-China Fertiliser Haripur have threatened to go on a hunger strike if their dues were not paid.

They announced this at a news conference on Saturday. Chairman Action Committee of the Pak-China Fertilizer, Haripur, Gul Shafa said that the factory that was established during the first Benazir Bhutto-led PPP government, was a profit-earning unit with a daily production of 350 tonnes of urea fertilisers.

He added the production had not only saved the country's foreign exchange in billions but also provided the local farmers access to urea at affordable rates.

But, the labour leader lamented that the Nawaz Sharif government privatised the unit -- a source of livelihood for over 800 workers -- at a throw-away price of Rs470 million to Schon Group in 1992, and the new owners, after receiving billions as bank loan in the name of factory, deliberately made it sick rendering about 800 workers jobless in 1997.

Mr Shafa said that the Schon Group did not pay the dues of millions of rupees to the laid-off workers who were still running from pillar to post. He said that when the factory was privatised the actual price of unused land was Rs2 billion.

He offered that the government should give the unit in the control of workers who had the capacity of making it operational within four months for which they would not ask for salary. The chairman Action Committee threatened to launch a protest campaign if the dues of the workers were not paid.

POORLY EQUIPPED Superintendent of Police (investigation) Haripur Mian Raza Hussain Kakakhel has said that lack of resources and modern techniques of investigation into criminal cases were the stumbling blocks to prompt and effective investigation system in the district.

Talking to Dawn on Saturday, he said that shortage of investigation staff, non-availability of transport facility, mobile tracking system and forensic laboratory at district level was the major obstacles causing delay in completion of investigation and subsequent trial.

The SP said that the modern tools and techniques were nowadays used by the criminals due to which the resourceless investigation department was exposed to new challenges and difficulties.

He said that for obtaining data of calls, the police had to seek help of other agencies which ultimately delayed the investigation process.

Likewise, he said that DNA test of the victim or accused was the most modern technique of investigation in other countries but Pakistani police had no easy access to this facility as a result, the investigating officers were often faced with difficulty of reaching to the culprits in the particular cases of rape and murder.

About forensic laboratory, the SP Investigation suggested that it should be established at district level for prompt investigation.

To a question he said that only four inspectors were looking after the eight police stations of the district while the investigation wing was running short of assistant sub-inspectors, head constables, constables and other support staff.