Protest demo outside parliament: Govt employees for incorporating demands into budget

ISLAMABAD: Federal government employees on Friday staged a protest demonstration outside the parliament during the budget session for the 2026–27 and urged the government to incorporate their demands into the budget and ensure the immediate implementation of all clauses of the agreement reached on March 10, 2025.

The government employees, including lady health workers, lady teachers, and PWD employees, marched from the Pakistan Secretariat and gathered outside the Parliament House after passing through barricades erected by the police.

Protesters were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands. A heavy contingent of police was deployed on the occasion in order to avert an untoward situation. Minor clashes between police and protesters reportedly occurred.

The employees had been staging protests outside the Ministry of Finance for the last two days.

Chief Organizer of the All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA), Rehman Bajwa, while speaking on the occasion, said that “we will continue our protest until our demands are approved.”

He demanded that the government merge all ad hoc relief allowances into basic pay and introduce a new Pay Scale 2026. He also sought the inclusion of a 100 percent Ad Hoc Relief Allowance 2026 in salaries.

The other demands of protesting employees include a 50 percent salary increase for employees earning less than Rs50,000 per month, along with a 200 percent increase in conveyance, medical, and house rent allowances.

The protesters also urged the government to withdraw pension reforms and to continue the existing pension system. To address salary disparities, they demanded an additional 30 percent Disparity Reduction Allowance.

Other demands include the abolition of the 25 percent tax slab imposed on teachers and researchers, along with refunds of previously deducted amounts. The employees have also urged the government to take immediate steps toward the regularization of daily-wage and contract workers.

Additionally, they have demanded the restoration of employment quotas for children of government employees who die during service and the formation of joint committees for institutions included in the government’s privatization programme.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026