Govt employees protest proposed cut in salaries, ‘pension reforms’

PESHAWAR: The government employees on Thursday staged protests across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa proposed cut in salaries and pension reforms.

In the provincial capital, the employees gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club.The Government Employees Grand Alliance Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leaders Haider Ali Khan, Samiullah Khan Khalil, Azizullah Khan, Syedul Islam, Naveed Gul and others addressed the protesting employees of Education, Irrigation and other government departments.

The protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the cut in salaries and pension reforms. They said that the government wanted to privatise the government department in the name of pension reforms. They said that the privatisation of government departments would not be allowed.

They said that bureaucracy wanted to increase their perks for which they needed a cut in the salaries of government employees. The protesting employees said that they would not let the government reduce their salaries.

They warned of extending the protest to other departments if the government attempted to cut their salaries as it would affect the employees.In Mardan, hundreds of the government employees staged a protest rally against the changes to pension rules and the proposed cut in the salaries.

The employees gathered at Government Centennial Model School -2 at Bigut Gunj and marched toward the Mardan Press Club.Aurangzeb Kashmiri, general secretary of All Pakistan Clerks Association, Muhammad Zubair, chairman, All Employees Coordination Council, Usman Sagar, Inam, Arshad Khan and others led the protest.

The rally turned into a public meeting outside Mardan Press Club. The speakers said the caretaker government was overstepping its mandate.They condemned the caretaker government after accusing it of making bids to cut the salaries of government employees and depriving them of their rights in the name of pension reforms.

The speakers said the only mandate of the caretaker government was to hold elections, advising the caretakers to leave with honour after conducting elections in the province.In Nowshera, the employees of various government departments staged rallies and protest demonstrations against the pension reforms and the proposed cut in their salaries.

The members of All Government Employees Grand Alliance - a conglomeration unions of different departments - gathered outside the Nowshera Press Club and staged a rally and chanted slogans against the caretaker government policies, including the so-called pension reforms, cut in salaries, privatisation of government institutions, Contributory Provident (CP) Fund and others.

Addressing the protesters, teachers’ leaders Mian Faiqzada, Islamuddin Batakzai, clerks’ leader Fazal Ghafar Bacha and others said that economic murder of government employees was being committed but the rulers did not cut their own huge salaries and expenses.

They threatened to launch a protest movement if the government did not stop implementing the anti-employees policies.The All Government Employees Grand Alliance also gathered outside the Miranshah Press Club in North Waziristan and chanted slogans against the government policies, including the so-called pension reforms, cut in salaries, privatisation of government institutions, Contributory Provident (CP) Fund and others.

The employees of educational institutions, health departments and others attended the protest in a large number.

Addressing the protesting employees, Prof Dilfaraz Khan said that the caretaker was framing and implementing policies beyond its mandate, which was unlawful and unconstitutional.He said that the interim government had planned to cut salaries of its poor and low-paid employees but it did not control its lavish expenses.

The professor said that the caretaker set up should do its own business of making preparations for upcoming general elections instead of introducing reforms and framing policies.

In Bajaur, the government employees under the banner of grand alliance also staged a protest demonstration outside the Bajaur Press Club and demanded immediate halt to the implementation of cruel policies against the employees.

The participants condemned the privatisation of government entities, pension reforms, cut in salaries and others.

They threatened to organise a pen down strike if the government did not accept their demands.The employees of state-run departments also staged a rally against the salary-cut, pension reforms and ending family pension in Hangu.

The employees of almost all the government departments gathered outside the Hangu Press Club and chanted slogans against the caretaker government.The protesting employees said that all should be dealt equally before law and pension reforms should not be implemented only on civilian departments.They vowed that the so-called pension reforms would be resisted tooth and nail.

ALPURI: Government employees in Shangla took to the streets against pension reforms and salary cuts on Thursday.

Various organisations representing government employees protested in the district headquarters Alpuri in the shape of a public meeting in front of the Shangla Press Club.

During the demonstration, many government employees from various departments participated, objecting to the cuts in their salaries, which were up to 25% due to recent reforms by the provincial government.

Addressing the protesters, Mian Muhammad Islam, Khizar Hayat, Fazal Hadi, Sultan Sikander, Fazal Ghafoor, and others said that the nation was currently facing severe inflation, with government employees being the hardest hit.

They expressed their dissatisfaction with the provincial government’s decisions, which have placed further financial hardships on government employees.The protestors warned that if their demands were not met, they would close down government schools and offices.