PESHAWAR/SWAT: Hundreds of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s employees on Wednesday protested the “negligible” 10 per cent pay raise announced in the 2024–25 provincial budget.

A large number of government employees from across the province gathered outside the provincial assembly’s premises despite the scorching heat and blocked the Khyber Road, causing massive traffic congestion in the city.

The protest was announced by the All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) KP and several other associations, referring to the 10 per cent pay raise announced in the provincial budget.

The speakers said they rejected the pay raise announced by the government and that it was a slap in the face of government employees.

They speakers demanded that the government announce a pay raise in proportion to inflation, and the current raise was negligible.

They said that the provincial government treated its employees unfairly.

The speakers also said that the PTI government, in its previous tenure, deprived its employees of their right to pension.

Amin Khan, president of the All Directorates Employees Association, told Dawn that hundreds of government employees from across the province took part in the Wednesday protest against the 10 per cent pay raise.

He said the pay raise should be commensurate with the rate of inflation in the country.

“The prices of essential commodities have gone up by more than 100 per cent but there is a negligible pay raise of 10 per cent for us that is not acceptable to them,” he said.

Mr Khan said the provincial government should have followed the federal government in announcing pay raises, but it went ahead on its own and announced a paltry raise for government employees.

He said the representatives of government employees held talks with the finance minister, who agreed on a pay raise to be announced by the federal government.

Another meeting of the representatives of government employees with the finance minister is scheduled for Friday (today).

PROTEST in SWAT: The All Pakistan Clerks Association’s Swat chapter on Wednesday stageda protest against the proposed pension reforms by the government and demanded an increase in salaries.

Holding banners and shouting slogans, the protesters marched from the district courts to the Swat Press Club.

The speakers included All Pakistan Clerks Association Swat president Ali Rehman, All Pensioners Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Fazal Khan, Allied Health Professional Association Saidu Group Hospital president Fazal Subhan, All Level IV

Employees Malakand Division president Syed Khittab, Paramedical Association Swat president Sher Mohammad Khan, APCA Swat vice president Alam Khan, and Paramedical Association Class IV Saidu Group general secretary Akhtar Khan.

The protesters said they would not let the government exploit them.

They said government employees were being victimised under pension reforms, which were unacceptable to them.

The speakers said record inflation had badly hit government employees.

They also rejected the provincial government’s announcement of a 10 per cent pay raise for its employees.

The speakers announced a strike in all government offices on Thursday (May 30) and said they had planned a demonstration at D-Chowk in Islamabad on Friday (June 7) when the federal budget was to be announced.

They said their protest would continue until their demands were met.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2024