ISLAMABAD: Government employees staged a protest demonstration outside the Parliament House on Tuesday during the budget session, urging the government to address their demands, including a reasonable salary increase and the withdrawal of pension reforms.
The employees from various departments marched from the Pakistan Secretariat to the Parliament House, carrying placards and banners with slogans supporting their demands.
They appealed for a reasonable salary hike in the upcoming 2025-26 budget, citing soaring inflation that has made it difficult for them to meet their daily expenses.
A heavy contingent of police was deployed in the Red Zone, with prison vans stationed near the protest site to prevent any untoward incident.
The majority of entry points to the Red Zone were closed to control general traffic during the demonstration.
The protesters called for the implementation of a written agreement signed between the All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) and a sub-committee formed by the prime minister.
Their demands also included merging ad hoc relief allowances into basic pay, revising pay scales, setting the minimum wage for labourers at Rs50,000, and increasing salaries and pensions by at least 50 percent.
They further demanded the elimination of salary disparities across federal institutions and the provincial-level upgradation of all federal employees.
The demonstrators vowed to continue their protests until the controversial pension reforms are withdrawn and leave encashment benefits are restored.
Rehman Bajwa, chief organiser of the AGEGA, addressing the protesting government employees, said that 10 percent increase in the salaries is good news for government employees but we will continue the protest till the fulfillment of demands we had placed before a committee comprising federal ministers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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