Demand for 200% Increase in Salaries in Upcoming Budget to Ensure Dignified Living
Staff Reporter
Peshawar:
An important meeting of the All Pakistan Secretariat Coordination Council was held yesterday in Islamabad, chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chairman Zafar Khan Yousafzai. Leadership representatives from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Federal Secretariat, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Azad Kashmir participated in the meeting.
During the session, participants unanimously approved presenting a set of demands to the government regarding the upcoming federal budget. The attendees expressed serious concern over the financial hardships faced by government employees.
Addressing the meeting, Chairman Zafar Khan Yousafzai stated:
“Today, government employees are under severe financial pressure. The unprecedented rise in inflation has broken the backs of employees. In this situation, we demand that the government increase the salaries of all employees by 200 percent in the upcoming budget so they can live with dignity.”
He added that medical expenses have increased severalfold, and medicines and treatment have become unaffordable for ordinary employees. Therefore, a 200 percent increase in medical allowance has become unavoidable. He further demanded that the conveyance allowance be doubled to ease the burden of rising travel expenses.
The Chairman made it clear that any kind of reforms in pensions would not be accepted under any circumstances and that the rights of pensioners must be fully protected. He also demanded the immediate restoration of the son quota and disease quota to ensure protection for employees’ families.
He further called for the merger of ad hoc relief into the basic salary, an increase in house rent allowance in proportion to inflation, regularization of contract and daily-wage employees, and immediate implementation of time-scale promotions and upgradations.
The meeting also demanded the abolition of the deputation policy in secretariats across Pakistan. Participants maintained that only original employees of the respective departments should be appointed, as the current deputation policy is causing wastage of resources and violations of merit. They called for ensuring transparency and making all decisions strictly on merit.
Chairman Zafar Khan Yousafzai warned that if the legitimate demands are not accepted, a nationwide protest movement would be launched. He said that employees would adopt every constitutional and legal avenue to secure their rights.
At the conclusion of the meeting, all participants unanimously expressed full support for the demands and resolved to continue their struggle.
