PESHAWAR: Hundreds of employees of various departments on Wednesday blocked the Khyber Road here to protest the government’s failure to honour its promise on 25 per cent raise in their salary.

The protesters under the umbrella of the All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) had earlier gathered at the Higher Secondary School No 1, Peshawar City. Later, they marched on the GT Road and staged a protest on the Khyber Road in front of the provincial assembly. Representatives of employees unions of 32 government departments took part in the protest.

The protesters demanded implementation of the federal government’s decision of merging all their ad hoc allowances into the basic pay and 25 per cent increase in their salary and pension on the basis of the current basic pay.

Speaking on this occasion, AGEGA president Syed Mohammad Shah Bacha and general secretary Wazirzada said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had on Feb 11, 2021 agreed to both the demands of the All Government Employees Grand Alliance Pakistan. “A government committee comprising federal ministers Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Ali Mohammad Khan and Pervez Khattak had promised increasing salaries from March 1, 2021,” they said.

However, they said while the federal government honoured both the promises, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government backed off.

The speakers warned if the provincial did not honour its promises by Feb 5, 2022, the AGEGA would march on Islamabad on Feb 10 and stage a sit-in there.

The AGEGA also presented its charter of demands, asking the KP government to revise the salaries after absorbing all ad hoc allowances in their basic pay. They also demanded 100 per cent increase in pay and pension keeping in view the inflation.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2022