Abbas Zaidi: Clerks of Punjab, sell your children!

The Punjab government had decided to sack thousands of clerks who have been working on contract basis for the past nineteen years. Other than the office boys, the clerks are at the lowest ladder of government jobs, and it is very difficult for them to live respectably. This is one reason—one reason—that being clerk is synonymous with being petty bribe taking. Clerks are also known to be mean, petty-minded, and live in infamy and economic deprivation. The reason: they usually deal with the very poor and it is these poor that they have to squeeze to make extra bucks.

Now that the Punjabi government has decided to deprive them of the low salaries and petty pilfering, they have put up their children on sale because they cannot feed them. The wailing clerks beat their chests and pull their hair as their lovely little kids crying and begging the government to have pity on them and their fathers.

The government is merciless and will not be moved by the wailing or Children of Sale. One clerk, however, said something significant. He said that the economic ruin of the clerks and their families would lead to the Talibanization of the clerks, which means that pushed against the wall some clerks or their children will become suicide bombers. The clerk is right: the only language that the government understands is the language is violent as the victories of the Taliban in northern Pakistan show.

Suicide bombing as we Pakistanis know is an extremely wicked act, which results in nothing but destruction and fitna on a very large scale. Having said that, I believe that the clerks or their children will not become suicide bombers unless religion is brought in. This is why, the government will disdain the clerks, protests, and they, the clerks, will continue to protest and put up their children on sale.
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7,700 sacked govt employees to be reinstated - What do ordinary Pakistanis think?

Politics, Humanity and Yellow Journalism - By Abbas Ather




A promise fulfilled


.....

Also read:

True story of a reinstated employee by Tahir Sarwar Mir


Well done Pakistan Peoples Party, the party of the poor.

7,700 sacked govt employees to be reinstated

Thursday, January 22, 2009
To receive three-year arrears in instalments; youth policy okayed

By Asim Yasin

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Wednesday approved the modalities for the reinstatement of over 7,700 public sector employees, sacked during 1996-98, within two to three months.

“These employees will be given three-year arrears along with promotion to higher scale and approximately Rs 7.5 billion amount would be paid to them in the coming three years,” said Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman while briefing newsmen about the decisions of the federal cabinet meeting held here with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in the chair.

The minister said with the reinstatement of the sacked employees, the PPP was fulfilling the promises made with the people. She said according to the reinstatement plan, the sacked employees shall be placed on a scale higher than the revised scale of the post, in case the structure of a post/cadre was changed. She said the plan envisaged that on reinstatement, each employee shall be paid compensation equivalent to three-year emoluments of the pay scale in which he would be placed, in three yearly instalments.

She said the first instalment shall be paid on reinstatement and the second and the third on January 1, 2010 and January 1, 2011, respectively. “The workers given forced golden handshake shall also be reinstated provided they agree to reimburse all monetary benefits they received.”

Sherry Rehman said the cabinet had approved, in principle, the National Youth Policy and had constituted a steering committee comprising Ministers for Labour & Manpower Khursheed Shah, Population Welfare Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Hazar Khan Bijarani (Education), Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo (Industries), Pir Aftab Shah Jilani (Sports), Shahbaz Bhatti (Minorities Affairs) and Special Assistant to the PM on Social Sector Shahnaz Wazir Ali.

The steering committee has been tasked to prepare an action plan for implementation within one month. The National Youth Policy, she said, aimed at providing opportunities to the youth for income generation, employment and sports activities.

The information minister said the cabinet committee, comprising ministers for education, law and parliamentary affairs and special assistant to the prime minister on social sector, had been formed to examine in detail the issue of establishment of the Sir Syed Institute of Engineering and Technology, Islamabad.

She said since the president of Pakistan was the patron-in-chief of the Sir Syed Memorial Society, the prime minister had directed that the president’s views/consent may also be sought in this regard before submitting the plan to the cabinet for approval.

She said another cabinet committee, comprising ministers for industries & production, law, education, parliamentary affairs and the special assistant to the PM on social sector, had been formed to examine the proposal of the Industries Ministry for the establishment of a university of engineering and technology focusing on fertiliser research. “The committee will present its report to the cabinet for approval,” she added.

She said the prime minister had rejected the suggestion of naming the university after him. The information minister said the cabinet ratified the agreement between Pakistan and Brunei for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes and income.

Sherry said the minister for food & agriculture informed the cabinet that due to timely import of fertiliser, there was no shortage of the commodity in the country. She said the cabinet was also informed that the Ministry of Industries was transporting 8-10,000 tons of fertiliser from Gwadar to other parts of the country every day.

Some Comments by Ordinary Pakistanis:

ashahid01 Says:
January 21st, 2009 at 11:49 pm


Here comes one of the person who got his brother re-instated in 7000 employees by great saviour government in present time.

Long live Bhuttooo, Roti Kapra Makan to 7000 people. ‘Kal bhi Bhutto Zinda tha, Aaj bhi Bhutto Zinda hai’, I am going to get all my field workers to vote for the party of poor. Democracy at its best in Pakistan.


kafka8 Says:
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:57 am

faujistan can gobble up 700 BILLION RS..its ok…a democratic govt. (corrupt/inept) allocates 7 billion (?) to citizens (albeit those who are pipliyas and were persecuted according to them by pml-n) is a big issue?? maybe.

lets just keep things in context.

netengr Says:
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:52 am

At least they are supporting the poors and their families .this time i appreciate PPP Government to help theses victims .

despite of the bad economy PPP took this step .http://ejang.jang.com.pk/1-22-2009/pic.asp?picname=1011.gif

this is the beast way to welfare people instead to open sasta tandoor in couple of area which cannot serve 1 % of the population ,just to get the popularity

Keep Faujistan at bay!!!


netengr Says:
7,700 workers are mostly middle and poor class .atleast 50 thousand people will be benefiting .

I am not the PPP supporter but I they are doing some thing good i will appreciate them

Ma Says:
if its wrong to give “rozgar” to the people and to reinstate those who has been kicked out for political reason then PPP is responsible for that.

it has done that before and it will do it again.

i know someone personally who was given employment by PPP government i 1994 and was sacked by next Nawaz Government saying that he belongs to PPP. i am happy that he is now reinstated.
its is win and long standing commitment of PPP to bring those people who has been sacked illegally by the Nawaz Government.

7700 peoples Job means 7700 family able to earn their living.
i think its shameful the way PML n is playing politics on it, they are doing the same which General Musharraf did by arresting PPP leaders for providing the Jobs.

7.5billion will be used in all over the process, which include their 10 years of pay as well.

no they are being reinstated a grade higher to their previous one.
Its upto them that they accpet it or not but as matter of principle beacuse the government thinks that they were ‘illegally’ removed and targetted ‘politically’ so thats why they have a right to be given chance to come back to their jobs.

it was one of their menifesto slogen in elections and they got votes on it and they MUST do it.

“Ilm Roshni, Sab Ko Kaam
Roti Kapra Aur Makaan
Maang Raha Hai Har Insaan”

Ma Says:

I will recommend you all to read this nice article written Syed Abbas ather (in daily Express)

according to that
in 1988 PPP has reinstated 12000 poor people who were sacked by Zia regime in 80s.

PPP is a party who believes in giving ‘Rozgar’ to the people rather than snatching @Rozgar’ from them. that why
PPP has confirmed 12000-13000 Jobs in 1988 by Junijoo governments
PPP has confirmed 5000 ad hoc People and 1,65,200 contract jobs to permanent.
You cannt say that those who has appointed by previous Governement are Jiyalas.

PPP menifesto statements is

Ilm Roshni, Sab Ko Kaam
Roti Kapra Aur Makaan
Maang Raha Hai Har Insaan

centrino Says:

I think its very easy to talk when we are sitting in the drawing rooms close to heater with a cup of tea on the internet TO CRITICISE any positive development.

Just go and ask the people who have nothing to eat. Their stoves are out and their families are not sure if they will have food for the other day or not.

It anyone of you is kicked out of the job and all your family is dependent on you only then you can realise what to do.

Lets appreciate whether someone is a worker of a party or not. At least our poor people are getting something out of it. As for the Party worker,,,, dont you think every poor person in this country is worker of one party or the other. These are poor masses who make give shape to a party then why not these should be given benefits.

Lets say PPP has reinstated its own party workers which for me means that 7700 poor families of this country have at least fot a secure future.

dara Says:

@ All those judiciary supporters.
Judicial crises was designed by non democratic forces so that people and political leaders should waist their time in non issue.
Those morons wanted two things out of judiciary crises.
1.to support distrust on real political forces of this country.
2. If they have to bow down to pressure from USA and share power with politicians then there should be a crises to depend upon.
PPP did exactly what they promised in their manifesto to re instate Govt employees who were politically victimized.

Ch Iftikhar should resign and come in to the politics if he things he could bring a change. Why he is begging for a seat?

As far his re in statement is concerned he was reinstated with a judicial process but couldn’t stop a dictator doing two things.

1. that dictator reelected trough a very controversial election and judiciary under Mr. Iftikhar Ch. accommodated that.( remember Qazi Hussain and Imran Khan’s petition , Imran Khan and Qazi were instrumental in re electing Mushraf in that way.

2. Nov 2007’s emergency that had full support of today’s Military leadership including Gen Kiani. PPP came in to seen and broke that game of establishment where two establishment groups were doing a Noora Kushtee to make us fool.

PPP and BB were intelligent enough to understand the game establishment was playing to avoid elections ( as we saw establishment’s Chamchas boycott of election), Nawaz Shrief was once fooled by those elements as he decided to boycott too but came out of their trap.
Our country is so close to complete destruction ( as in past every time at the end of any military rule) and we are only one problem , how to reinstate that corrupt judge who supported Musharaf’s ill legal acts of Oct 1999.

areeza Says:

how NS came to Pakistan? thru NRO or li**ng mush a**.? please someone answer.

same work if punjab govt does, everyone from PML-N will be appreciating..lol

MalangBaba Says:

I completly support reinstatement of these employees. Nawaz Sharif terminated these people only to sell their vacant positions to his partymen. Cases were made against PPP leaders including BB Shaheed and Yousaf Raza Gilani. They could not prove any thing wrong even in their own appointed judges.

Most Ziaists on this forum r extremly biased and suffering myopia.

MalangBaba Says:

Ghost Of TK wrote:

”
If we’re concerned with the principle of “People who lost their jobs illegally under previous governments ought to get their jobs back” then let us consider these two historical and legal facts:

1. Nawaz Sharif Prime Minister of Pakistan was illegally deposed on 12th of October 1999 by a Military Jurnail who committed treason and violated article 6 of the constitution. Nawaz Sharif should get his job back.

2. Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry, the chief justice of Pakistan, was illegally deposed AGAIN by the same fvcking jurnail, who AGAIN violated the constitution, committed treason and illegally deposed the Judiciary and his own government. Justice Iftikhar Choudhry and all the judges illegally made un-functional ought to get their jobs back.”
”

U r right in both cases.

Case 1: But the problem is that NS came in power because he managed to get BB removed from power illegaly and got elected through rigged elections. eghari put an anti-PPP caretaker government that put PPP leadership in jails, started vicious campaign against PPP and lodged thousands of cases against its workers and put hundreds in jail. So he got a job with support of establishment through illegal means. If U don’t believe me just get the old newspapers from file and read the statements of Imran Khan and Qazi who were holding long marches against Sharif.

2. Iftikhar Ch. was appointed judge and then CJ by the same Mush who illegaly dislodged NS. His appointment as a judge and as a CJ were both illegal as far as the constitution of 1999 stands. So how can removing an illegaly apponted judges can illegal? For your information NS considered Iftikhar and his fellow judges illegal till March 9, 2007 and was boycotting these judges on the plea of their illegal status and also being a PCO judge.

being selective in demand of justice is a big hypocricy that most right wingers Ziaists suffer. They cannot see beyond their own narrow vision and can justify any thing that suits their vested interest.

Fahim23 Says:

Zia, NS, and Musharaf kicked off people from jobs that were given to people in PPP government? That’s ok they can do that, it was not politically motivated and certainly not a political victimization. They didn’t even needed to form a commission which examined the merits of appointments. Just because they were hired in PPP govt they are corrupt.

Military can make cantonments in every city of Pakistan and acquire thousands of acres of land all over the country, thats absolutely fine and no need to fuss about that. But if PPP compensates the sacked employees of govt departments that is not acceptable.

Munir Says:

Government reinstated 7,700 employees of grades 1-6 and sky is falling.

MalangBaba Says:
January 24th, 2009 at 1:33 am


@ashahid01

“Of course, you are going to support reinstatement of these miracle workers. I suspect you probably got your brother or cousin to re-occupy a lucrative post in some government department and hence the joy. ”

Well U r wrong. My point is very simple:

1. Bothe NS and Mush miserably failed to provein any self-appointed court that these ppl were illegaly employed.
2. Most of these ppl were low grade employees belonging to poor families. They suffered for no reason other than political vandatta
3. They were removed from jobs without any legal proceedings againts them. The purpose was to victimize PPP leader ship and make cases against PPP leaders including BB and YRG

Every government has a right to provide jobs. I agree that there should be merit. But political appointments are part of Pakistani culture. Why single out only PPP? Just because it provide jobs and housing to poor?

I worked on a senior position in Islamabad from 1980-1992 and have witnessed a lot of corruption by generals and their faviourite politicians like NS and Jamaat. Even the jouirnalist Ansar Abbasi got his job in The News using influence of Gen. Zia through Khaqan Abbasi. I know this personaly because a cousin of his was appointed in my ministry the same way who used to be my friend. This ansar Abbasi guy used to come to my office often and we used to have long discussions. I know for sure that he is a big Safarshi himself but now he is making -ve stories just to further his Ziaist agenda.

BTW: none of my family members or even distant relatives r part of these 7000 victims of Ziaism. I do admit that some of my relatives who r very rich and corrupt from Lahore managed to get their three sons employed in police (inspector) and revenue department (tehsil dar) through Shehbaz Sharif by pying one million rupeed each that too through safarash of Shuja-ur-rehman family.

The difference between PPP and NS is that PPP provide employments to poor and unemployed but NS provide lucirative obs to rich and influencial.

This is the reason PPP won all elections in Pakistan’s history held under an impartial setup.
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A 6-year-old boy thrown into a hot water tub in Sargohda, Pakistan. His crimes? Hunger, Poverty,Helplessness

6-year-old hungry boy died after being thrown in boiling water

In Sargodha Pakistan, a hungry young boy, Tassawar, was thrown in a tub of hot water when he approached for food at the cooking area of a wedding in the neighbourhood. The boy belonged to a poor family. He was taken to a local district hospital, where no emergency aid was provided to the burnt boy. He was left in an irrelevant ward with no medical attention at all. The superintendent, Sher Mohammed Rana, in the hospital refused to admit him or pvoide medial assistance to the crying and suffering boy, who was later shifted to Lahore. After seven days, the child died in suffering yesterday. (Daily Express, December 4, 2008).
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