Islamabad [Pakistan], May 19 : The termination of more than 200 employees by a newly appointed security company for the Metro Bus Service operating between Rawalpindi and Islamabad sparked protests on Monday morning, resulting in the suspension of bus operations for nearly two hours, according to a report by Dawn.
Employees of the Metro Bus Service staged a protest on the metro track against their dismissal and the non-payment of salaries for the previous two months. The protesting workers blocked the track, causing the Metro Bus Service between the twin cities to remain suspended and creating major inconvenience for students and office commuters during rush hour. For the protest, dismissed male and female employees gathered at the Potohar Metro Bus Station on Monday morning and chanted slogans against the Metro administration, the Dawn report stated.
The affected workers alleged that the Metro Bus administration had removed more than 200 employees without prior notice. They said the termination process began on May 1 and claimed they had not received salaries for March and April. According to the protesters, the Metro Bus Service contract had been handed over to a new company, which dismissed the existing employees shortly after assuming control and started recruiting new staff, while the unpaid salaries of former employees were still pending. They further stated that despite their contracts remaining valid until 2027, they had not been paid their dues, and the administration continued to delay payments by giving repeated assurances and new dates.
The protesters said several of the terminated employees had been associated with the Metro Bus Service for eight to ten years and, in many cases, were the only earning members of their families. They appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to immediately intervene in the matter and ensure that the affected employees received their pending two months' salaries. Meanwhile, Punjab Mass Transit Authority Rawalpindi-Islamabad Operations Manager Wajid Saleem was unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts, Dawn reported.
A senior PMA official stated that the Metro Bus Service was temporarily suspended in the morning but later resumed after negotiations between the protesters and the administration. The official added that the new security company assumed responsibility on May 1 and subsequently made decisions regarding its staffing, according to the Dawn report.