PESHAWAR: The employees of various government departments held a protest rally here on Monday to seek increase in salaries and allowances according to the prevailing inflation.

The protesters, led by provincial office-bearers of All Government Employees Grand Alliance (Agega), marched from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to Peshawar Press Club chanted slogans for resolution of their problems.

Speaking on the occasion, Agega president Aslam Khan, chairman Mohammad Riaz, general secretary Noorul Amin and Haji Mohammad Iqbal demanded 100 per cent increase in different allowances and filling of vacant positions in government departments including Peshawar Electric Supply Company.

The protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with their demands. They said that government employees were united to continue agitation till resolution of their issues. They demanded merger of the ad hoc relief in the basic pay and revision of the basic scales immediately.

The protestors also spoke against the proposed privatisation of power distribution companies and threatened to announce nationwide protest movement if the proposal was not withdrawn. They said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, before coming into power, had promised to bring positive change in fate of people but it added to miseries of people.

Expressing concerns over increasing prices of essential commodities, the protesters said that government had no plan to overcome inflation, which made life of the low income group miserable. They said that frequent increase in price of petroleum products and food items forced people to take to streets.

The employees urged government to avoid adopting policies at the behest of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and devise concrete economic policy to control price hike and joblessness in the country. They urged lawmakers to focus on solution of the problems faced by people.

They also demanded of the government to fill the vacancies of different cadres in various departments to overcome unemployment and ensure good governance. “We have presented out charter of demands to the government for acceptance otherwise we are ready to march on Islamabad,” they threatened.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2021