Clerks and teachers stage sit-in outside parliament

Thousands of teachers and clerks from across the country on Wednesday staged a sit-in in front of the Parliament House to press their demands, especially the adjustment of ad-hoc relief in their basic pay scale and revision of pay scale. Around 4,000 protesters demanded the federal government to announce a special package for them in the upcoming budget. They termed it as sheer injustice, saying their communities were being deprived of basic necessities, which should be fulfilled by the government.
The protesters were of the views that their existing salary packages were not enough to sustain themselves. “The ever-increasing inflation has made the lives of low paid employees miserable. We have no option but to fight for pay raise,” said Muhammad Roshan Zameer who came from Dera Ghazi Khan to register his protest. Punjab Teachers Union President Sajjad Akbar Kazmi said teaching was a respectable profession but the government had been abusing the teachers. “Form the first day of appointment, the government deducts money in the name of Group Insurance but at the time of retirement the employees are not paid their own money,” he said.
The protesting teachers also demanded restoration of all contractual teachers and making their service permanent. All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) President Nazar Hussain Korai in his speech demanded revision of their pay scales and allowances in accordance with the inflation rate. He said even after three years of constitution, the Pay and Pension Commission had not made any progress. Meanwhile, Secretary Finance Dr Waqar Masood held a meeting with the representatives of the protesters after which Korai announced calling off their strike and said the federal secretary assured him that their demands would be met in next couple of weeks.