Islamabad: Government employees launched a protest in Pakistan’s Islamabad on Friday, calling for reforms to their salaries and inclusion of service structure in the upcoming financial plan. The protest came before the Pakistan government presented its budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, local media reported.
Employees started gathering at Secretariat Chowk, planning to hold a march towards Parliament House after workers reached there from different provinces. The protest follows two days of demonstrations outside Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance, where employees called for including their demands in the upcoming budget, leading Pakistani daily ‘The Express Tribune’ reported.
After reaching the Parliament House, protesters intended to hold a sit-in and remain there until the government agrees to their demands. The organisers mentioned that both female and male employees representing several public sector departments and pensioners organisations, including teachers, clerical staff, Class-IV employees, technical personnel and labour organisations, would participate in the protest.
The chief organiser of the All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA), Rehman Bajwa, announced that the protest will continue outside until their demands are not met. The employees have called for inclusion of their demands in the budget, which include merger of all ad hoc relief allowances into basic pay and a revised pay scale for 2026 be introduced.
The demands of employees include a 50 per cent increase in salary for employees who earn less than Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 50,000 per month, a 200 per cent increase in conveyance, medical and house rent allowances, and the withdrawal of pension reforms. The employees have demanded a 30 per cent disparity reduction allowance, removal of the 25 per cent tax slab for teachers and researchers, and the regularisation of daily-wage and contract employees.
They have also called for restoration of employment quotas for families of deceased employees and a minimum monthly wage of PKR 50,000 for government staff, the local media reported.
On June 2, leaders of the All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) Punjab said that the soaring inflation in Pakistan has reduced the purchasing power of government employees, making it difficult for them to manage household expenses from their limited incomes.
In a joint statement, AGEGA leadership stated that provincial government employees, especially those in Punjab and other provinces, have not yet received the 30 per cent disparity allowance announced in the Federal Budget 2025-26, The Express Tribune reported. They stated that the Punjab government’s recent amendments to leave encashment rules have deprived employees of substantial leave encashment benefits, which they receive after retirement.
The alliance alleged that retired and serving employees of Punjab are facing reductions in pension, gratuity and leave encashment benefits. They urged Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to announce measures for government employees in the Federal Budget 2026-27.
(IANS)
