Employees of Pakistan Audit and Account Department (PAAD) on Friday observed a countrywide pen down strike to get approval of their audit allowance. Following the strike, the PAAD offices remained closed in the center as well as in all four provinces, affecting approximately 3 million government employees and millions of retired employees as their salaries and pensions got delayed. The strike paralyzed financial systems of the federal and provincial governments as the checks were not prepared. Leaders of PAAD’s action committee, including Mr Zia Ur Rehman warned the government that if it did not solve the audit allowance issue, the radius of the strike would be increased.