ISLAMABAD: Government employees on Tuesday staged a sit-in outside the Parliament House, and demanded of the government to increase their salaries proportionate to the ongoing inflation.

A large number of employees of the Federal Secretariat and the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) staged a sit-in outside the Parliament House.

Secretariat employees staged sit-in to press the government for increase in their salaries while the PIMS employees staged sit-in against Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Ordinance promulgated last month.

Senate Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla and Senator Bahramand Tangi also participated in the protest, and assured the protesters that they would make all-out efforts to resolve their legitimate demands.

The protesters chanted slogans in favour of their demands and against the government which had not increased their salaries.

The sit-in was organised by the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA), the All Pakistan Secretariat Employees Coordination Council (APSECC), and the Grand Health Alliance (GHA).

A heavy contingent of police was deployed on the occasion in order to avert any untoward incident.

Rehman Bajwa, president secretariat employees speaking on the occasion said that protesters will end their sit-in after assurance of the government with respect to their demands.

Otherwise, they would continue their sit-in till the fulfillment of their demands, he said.

He said that the Prime Minister, Imran Khan, as per the pledges he made before coming into power, should fulfill their demands.

Later, he announced that they postpone sit-in till the first week of March, and the secretariat employees will stage a protest outside the Parliament House on a daily basis for one hour till March.

Provincial government employees will stage protest outside the provincial assemblies on a daily basis.

He said that they will take back their protest call, if the government fulfilled their demand till the end of February.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021