HYDERABAD: Qaumi Awami Tehreek President Ayaz Latif Palijo has called for at least 60pc increase in the salary and pension of government employees in the upcoming federal budget considering the “ruthless wave of inflation”.
The situation, he said, has pushed salaried class, labourers and farm workers below the poverty line.
In a statement issued here on Saturday, Mr Palijo said that minimum wage for industrial workers should be fixed at Rs60,000, indicating that inflation has crossed 35pc with prices of flour, rice, pulses, milk, medicines, gas and electricity bills increasing every month.
Salaries of workers have not been increased to commensurate with the inflation, he said, adding that a government employee could not even survive for 15 days of a month with his salary.
The QAT leader said that a retired government employee, who dedicate his/her entire life to the country, is living in extreme poverty. The meagre pension does not even cover cost of medicines or household expenses. A 60pc increase would, at least, allow pensioners to live with dignity.
Ayaz Palijo also demands 60pc hike in pension, adequate funds for education, health in next budget
Mr Palijo said that the country’s economic situation and storm of inflation were making life harder for the common man day by day. He said that the price of every item of daily use is skyrocketing but income of workers stays unchanged. If the budget is not made people-friendly, the storms of poverty and unemployment in the country will turn severer.
He added that the labor class working in industrial units and agriculture sector is the backbone of national economy. “Sadly, even after eight to 12 hours of hard labour, workers are paid only Rs32,000 to Rs37,000 a month,” he lamented.
On the other hand, he said, after enduring impact of an artificial water shortage, fake seeds and fake medicines, farmers are not getting an adequate rate for their produce and also facing exploitation.
For the revival of agriculture sector, tractors and other farming equipment should be made cheaper. Farmers should be provided free seeds, fertiliser and medicines for one year, he demanded, and argued that this would help them keep the lamp of their children’s education and health burning.
Mr Palijo noted with concern that every big capitalist, landlord and elite is given tax concessions in the budget while poor, labourers, workers and farmers are always ignored. If the government calls itself people-friendly, it must give top priority to the poor and working classes in the budget.
He said that a budget should not be just a game of numbers, but a map of people’s lives. He observed that the next budget must allocate sufficient funds for education, health, agriculture, industry and information technology so that youth could get employment.
Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2026