Former employee takes factory workers hostage, demands ‘unpaid salary’

KARACHI: An armed man took employees of a factory in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Maymar area over alleged unpaid dues by owners of the mill, ARY News reported.

According to ARY News correspondent Salman Lodhi, the man who is a former employee of the factory claims that he was unjustly fired from his job and was not even paid at least three months salary by the owners of the mill.

“I will blow myself and my colleagues up if I am not paid,” said the man identified as Saleem Shahzad, a former employee.

Huge contingents of police cordoned off the area and surrounded the factory premises to negotiate with him but so far, the attacker has refused to budge.

Police say they have offered Shahzad to surrender and they will make sure he gets his dues but he wants his salary without delay.

A video obtained by ARY News shows one of the hostages saying Shahzad was fired three months ago and was not paid his dues despite repeatedly visiting the factory.