MANSEHRA: Adviser to the chief minister for information Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif on Thursday said the provincial government was ready to increase its employees’ salary by 25 per cent, like the federal government.

“We [KP government] have no hesitation in hiking the salaries of our employees by 25 per cent just like the federal government and will soon call the provincial assembly’s session to get its nod for this proposal,” Mr Said told a news conference at the residence of the provincial assembly’s Speaker, Babar Saleem Swati, here.

The provincial government has increased the salaries of its employees by 10 per cent in the budget 2024-25.

“The austerity measures, which our government has taken to put the economy on track, have been proven to be fruitful, but the federal government is withholding our due electricity and water payments of billions of rupees,” Mr Saif said.

CM aide says PA session to be called for nod to proposal

He said pensions and salaries were the biggest liabilities of the provincial government and his party was going to do away with post-retirement financial benefits for public sector employees to be appointed in future.

The aide to the CM said the government had finalised the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the micro-financing entity Akhuwat to give away interest-free loans to 100,000 youths in the province.

He said the money to be given away to youths as loans would be provided to Akhuwat by the provincial government.

Mr Saif said PTI founder Imran Khan had opposed talks with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement insisting that such a move towards “corrupt parties would be tantamount to deviating from the party’s political faith and ideology.”

He said both there was a consensus between his party and the Jamiat-i-Ulema-Fazl that the Feb 8 general elections were massively rigged.

The aide to the CM, however, said the two parties won’t form an electoral alliance.

He said wheat procurement by his government had no irregularities but the Punjab government spread false propaganda against it to “hide its failure to protect the interests of growers in its own province.”

Mr Saif said the federal government presented a pro-IMF and anti-people budget, while the boycott of the budget session by PPP chairman Bilal Bhutto-Zardari was just a stunt to divert people’s attention from their real issues.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf provincial deputy president Kamal Saleem Swati and leader Dr Iftikhar Zaidi were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2024