Govt has accepted all demands, 20pc salary raise: Apca chief

ISLAMABAD: All Pakistan Clerks Association (Apca) Central President Haji Muhammad Irshad claimed on Thursday the government had accepted all demands of protesters and agreed to increase their salaries by 20 per cent.

Talking to The News here, he said a notification in that regard would be issued by the government the next week.

On behalf of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak and Secretary Finance negotiated with the protesters and promised a 20pc increase in their salaries.

An Apca team, led by Haji Muhammad Irshad, had held talks with the government representatives. Later, he announced calling off the sit-in in front of the Parliament House. He thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan, who took interest in solving the employees’ problems.

To a question, he said if the government did not fulfil its promise, the employees across the country would lock down every city. “We will take to the streets along with our families at that time,” he warned.

Thousands of government employees ran over the barricades and entered the federal capital's sensitive Red Zone and demanded increase in their salaries in the wake of high inflation rate.

The angry protesters from Apca, All Pakistan Secretariat Employees Coordination Council (APSECC), All Pakistan Lady Health Workers Association (APLHWA) and several other public sector organisations staged the sit-in in front of the Parliament House and demanded increase in their salaries.

The protesters tried to break the Parliament House gates, but the police stopped them. A clash between the police and protesters also took place during the demonstration. A large number of Lady Health Workers (LHWs) continued their sit-in in front of the Parliament House on Thursday.

They said no one came for listening to their issues. However, the government authorities claimed it was a provincial issue. “We have directed provincial government to resolve the issue,” authorities said.