Govt employees unions to stage sit-in on 10th

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Secretariat Employees Core Committee, All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA), All Pakistan Secretariat Employees Coordination Council (APSECC), All Pakistan Lady Health Workers Association (APLHWA) and several other public sector organizations Tuesday announced a sit-in in front of the Parliament House on February 10.

The sit-in will be for an indefinite period until acceptance of demands. Thousands of government employees have entered the Red Zone and demanded increase in their salaries according to the inflation ratio. There was a complete pen-down strike of clerks in the country on Tuesday.

The angry protesters raised anti-government slogans and demanded increase in their salaries according to the current inflation ratio. A heavy contingent of police was present in the Red Zone to control law and order situation.

There was a gridlock in the federal capital, while the route from Aabpara to the Parliament House was completely blocked. In his speech, Federal Secretariat Employees Core Committee President Rehman Bajwa said the government was continuously cheating them but now they will not spare it.

He said the government should take their demands seriously and warned that if it tried to use force against them on February 10, then they will lock down all streets and areas of the country. All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) Central President Haji Muhammad Irshad said government employees from all the four provinces will reach Islamabad to stage a sit-in for an indefinite period.

He said the government had been cheating them for over four months but not doing anything practical. The protesters have demanded over 100 per cent increase in salaries, as inflation has increased by over 200 per cent in two and a half years.

Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid had recommended that the finance minister should immediately meet the clerks’ leaders to resolve the issue. However, the finance ministry did not agree to the proposal for immediate relief.