The members of Federal Revenue Alliance (FRA) Employees Union staged a protest demonstration on Wednesday outside the Regional Tax Office (RTO) Lahore besides observing a partial strike to press the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) high-ups for restoration of an allowance frozen by the Board.
According to a spokesman of the Union, recently Government of Pakistan introduced new pay scales for the FBR employees but had frozen allowance, which is given to the employees equal to their basic pay. The Federal Revenue Alliance Employees Union decided to start an agitation against freezing of the said allowance. A partial strike was being observed from 11am to 1pm in all the offices of income tax, customs throughout the country.
FRA besides observing a partial strike also staged a demonstration outside the RTO office and blocked the road for thirty minutes chanting slogans in favour of their demands. The demonstration was addressed by the Central FRA President Mian Abdul Qayyum, President Lahore Chapter Naeem Abbas Shah and others.
FRA President, Mian Abdul Qayyum addressing the employees of income tax and customs warned the FBR high-ups to immediately restore the frozen allowance, otherwise a full strike will be observed throughout Pakistan closing all income tax and customs department, he added.
He also criticised transfers of union members in Bahawalpur to various outstation and to other provinces and said it is against the Service Rules. The basic right to remain in his native district is challenged. These orders immediately should be withdrawn. FRA Employees Union Lahore Region Head Naeeem Abbas Shah urged the people to observe the strike but said that the Union is not against the government. He said that the union had already postponed the same strike in the month of June to avoid the problems. Because the government is not paying heed to the problem the Union went on partial strike.