KARACHI - Scores of fire brigade department employees staged a protest here on Wednesday over the non-payment of salaries and other financial issues outside the KMC building, MA Jinnah Road.

According to details, hundreds of employees of the Fire Brigade Department gathered outside the Central Fire Station and KMC building, and demanded the immediate release of overtime allowances due for the past five months.

The protesters complained that the department had yet to release their salaries for January while other allowances had also been stuck up for the last five months.

They also said that the department had not even provided them uniform for the last five years.  The protesters demanded that they be provided necessary equipments so that they could protect themselves during firefighting.

Although the firefighting department is one of the key departments of KMC, it does not have sufficient funds for the medical treatment of wounded firefighters. Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhter and Municipal Commissioner Dr Bader Jameel reached venue of the protest to negotiate with the protesters and assured them that their demands would be met.

Wasim informed the protestors that the local government was trying to resolve the issues relating to the release of allowances, adding it was another thing that these remained held up prior to the local government came to power.  The protest continued for at least three hours, causing massive traffic jam at MA Jinnah Road and other link roads.

Heavy contingents of police rushed to the spot to calm the protesters down and ask them to provide room space for smooth traffic flow. In the end, the protesters dispersed following the assurances given by the concerned officials.