LAHORE, May 28: Over two million clerks in the country observed a black day on Wednesday to protest the failure of the government to control inflation and make their pay and allowances commensurate with the cost of living.

The clerks observed strike, held meetings and staged demonstrations in 114 districts of the country, including Azad Kashmir, on the call of the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA).

In Lahore, clerks took out a procession from the Buildings Department offices on McLeod Road and marched to the Punjab Assembly chambers via GPO Chowk.

They raised slogans of “control inflation”, release Dr A.Q Khan”, “go Musharraf go’ and “accept our demands”. Labour department clerk Ahmed Ali Shah fainted during the demonstration.

Addressing the clerks, Punjab APCA president Muhammad Afzal said the salaried people were finding the goings hard due to unprecedented increase in prices of essential commodities. He said that clerks would give a call for the civil disobedience movement in case the government tried to raise taxes in the budget.

Mr Afzal said that clerks would also observe a countrywide protest strike from June 3 to 7.

He said the government should double the salaries and upgrade the pay scales of clerks and technical employees proportionate to the increase in the cost of living.

The APCA leader said that all contract employees should be regularized besides increasing the house rent to 70 per cent of the basic pay. He also asked the government to raise the conveyance allowance to Rs1,500 and medical allowance to Rs1,000 for all employees.

Selection grade and move-over facilities should be restored and the group insurance should not be deducted from the salaries. The government should also set up the ‘clerks fund’ and promote all the clerks in grade 16 to grade 17, he said. —Reporter