'Not paid for three months' 200 private guards refuse to continue duties at CDGK

Almost 200 private security guards have refused to continue their duties at City District Government Karachi (CDGK) head office for non-payment of salaries for the last three months. Dozens of security guards of a private firm at Civic Center protested against non-payment of salaries by their company which according to them was to receive over Rs 10 million from CDGK.
Leaving their respective places where they were posted, the guards staged a sit-in at the green belt of Civic Center, as they were facing acute hardships to run their kitchens. The guards who are merely paid Rs 6000 per month were crying for the miseries they were going through for the non-payment of salaries, as they were unable to meet all the expenditures.
These 200 guards were performing their duties at various offices of CDGK, especially Civic Center and Old KMC Building facing high security risk under the current bad law and order situation and stoppage of their salaries had added to their sufferings.
Akhtar Nawaz, a middle aged guard, with tears in his eyes, said his daughter was ill and he could not buy medicines for her. Ishrat Ali, Muhammad Khurram, Amanatullha, Muhammad Asif, Kamran, Salman Ahmed and Mohammed Adnan were among those who said that they have been served notices from their landlords for vacating the houses for no-payment of rent.
Family of Ahmed Ashraf, a guard who lost his life recently at one of the gates of the Civic Center in the line of duty, was promised by CDGK Rs 0.1 million compensation, got nothing so far, complained Danish Ashraf, the brother of the deceased guard.
Talking to Business Recorder, Faheem, Manager, Oqab Security Services said that for the non-payment of dues by CDGK, the company was running short of cash and hence stopped employees' salaries. Though the company had somehow managed to pay salaries for the month of April 2010, but now it was unable to pay for the rest of the months until it receives cash from CDGK, Faheem added.
The guards also threatened that they would commit suicide in front of the Center if they were not paid immediately. They said though the city government was paying Rs 12,000 per guard to the security company, the poor employees were being paid only Rs 6000 per month.