QUETTA: Police arrested over two dozen government employees’ on Tuesday after clashes erupted while they were protesting against their salaries not being increased in line with federal government scales.
Police lobbed tear gas shells when the protesting employees became unruly and pelted police with stones during their demonstration.
The employees took to roads in Quetta carrying placards and banners scribed with their demands and chanted slogans against the government.
Police resorted to baton-charge and used tear gas to disperse the protesting employees, during which around a dozen demonstrators received injuries.
Law enforcement officials also used batons against media men covering the protest.
Tear gas, batons used against protesters demanding higher wages
The protests by the Government Employees Grand Alliance, erupted after the Balochistan government failed to announce salary and benefit increases in the provincial budget similar to those provided at the federal level.
Following unsuccessful negotiations, employees locked government offices and schools and planned to march towards the Balochistan Assembly to stage a sit-in.
But police prevented them by using roadblocks, closing Zarghoon Road, when protestors forcibly attempted to reach the assembly building, police again used tear gas and baton charge.
The city experienced massive traffic jams.
“We have arrested around 30 demonstrators from different areas during clashes with security personnel,” SP City Noman Zafar said, adding that some leaders of the grand alliance were among them.
Leaders of the alliance accused the government of “torturing the protesting employees instead of accepting their demands”.
They demanded immediate implementation of their 18-point charter, including salary increases in line with inflation, a disparity allowance, reversal of “anti-employee pension reforms”, and automation of the retirement process.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti defended the police action, saying protesting employees were “attempting to prevent the assembly session from taking place.”
Speaking in the assembly, he said the demands would add a burden of Rs40 billion to the provincial budget, which is “not feasible within the current financial constraints”.
“I understand that inflation and unemployment are serious issues, but the reality is that our non-development expenditure is rapidly increasing, while development budgets are consistently being cut,” Mr Bugti said.
“We are allocating 80 per cent of our budget to just 2pc of our employees.”
Mr Bugti added that provincial ministers were sent to engage with protesters, but they “remained adamant about stopping the assembly session.”
“If the employees think they can halt assembly proceedings through protests, this is not acceptable,” he warned.
While acknowledging the right to protest, the chief minister noted the Balochistan High Court has banned protests by government employees and Section 144 was imposed.
Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2025
