Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the government after negotiations with the protesting employees was ready to notify an increase in the wages of grade 1-16 employees. However, according to Federal Minister, now the protesters had made a new demand for raising salaries up to grade 22 employees of the federal government, which was not possible at the moment keeping in view, the country’s economic condition. The three-member Cabinet Committee including Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affair Ali Muhammad Khan were addressing a joint press conference in Islamabad yesterday.
During news conference Shaikh Rashid Ahmed busted on Opposition Parties saying that political parties were supporting the protest for their personal gains, which should not be exploited. Service rules are applicable on government employees and not political leaders. Therefore, the public servants should raise voice for their own rights instead of becoming tools at the hands of political parties. The situation went into deadlock and the employees changed their protest into sit in at D-Chowk and vowed to continue till surrender of the government. The opposition parties were also pressing the government for not considering just demands of government employees in the backdrop of huge inflation in the country. The Police sorted to use of force and tear gas against the protestors.
According to reports, Government employees were demanding cent percent increase in their salaries besides other issues such as reinstation of removed contractual employees, elimination of inter-departmental salary difference, increase in allowances and medical coverage etc. In fact, PTI government did not increase salaries and pension of the government servants except one-time nominal increase, whereas, the inflation doubled down during previous three-year tenure of PTI government. During negotiations between both sides, the protesting employees leadership and cabinet committee agreed at 25% adhoc relief for Federal Government employees of grade 1-19. According to Government, Pay and Pension Committee is working on the case and its recommendation will be incorporated in Budget 2021-2022. Although government remained successful in averting the employees leadership through increase in salary, whereas, there is discontentment among the different segments of the employees for not addressing other issues. There is no detail regarding increase in pension of retired employees. The picture will be clear after issuance of notification by the government. It is advisable that government should consider these issues religiously instead of using eluding tactics, as all segments of society had badly suffered from higher inflation during last two years, and now public became frustrated and not ready to give in their rights to government wordy promises.
