PESHAWAR: The police on Tuesday resorted to tear gas shelling and used batons to disperse the protesting secretaries of the village and neighbourhood councils here, leaving scores of them injured.

The police also arrested 30 protesters.

The secretaries were demanding of the provincial government to upgrade their scale to grade 14 from the existing grades 9 and 11.

The protesters had blocked the busy Rehman Baba Square near the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, chanting slogans in favour of their demands.

Talking to Dawn, one of the secretaries said they had been demanding of the provincial government to upgrade their scales, but to no avail.

He said initial appointment of the secretaries was made in grade 9, and they got only one-step promotion in their entire service, and got retired in grade 14.

“We are also demanding of the government to frame a proper service structure for the village and neighbourhood secretaries like other departments,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2022