Govt approves 25% ad-hoc relief in salaries of protesting employees

ISLAMABAD, (MANEND NEWS): Defence Minister Pervez Khan Khattak
on Thursday said a 25 percent increase in the salaries of federal
government employees has been approved on an “ad-hoc” basis a day
after the capital saw tear gas shelling amid protests by hundreds of
government employees.
The defence minister was addressing a press conference in Islamabad
along with Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Minister of State
for Parliamentary Affairs Engineer Ali Muhammad Khan after the
interior minister announced last night that negotiations with protesting
government employees had been successful.
Sheikh Rashid said the government committee had decided in the
meeting to release all the arrested individuals so far.
Elaborating upon the implementation of the ad-hoc relief in Thursday’s
press conference, Pervez Khan Khattak said it would be added to the
pay scales in the budget that will be announced in June.
Announcing other decisions of the government committee, the defence
minister said it had decided upon the process of upgradation for all
government employees which would be carried out after the budget
announcement in June.
He further added that a decision on increasing salaries based on time-
scale approval had also been taken. A policy would be made for it and
a procedure would be set, according to Khattak, because “the one who
works harder should get more opportunities [than] the one who is lazy
[and doesn’t work hard]”. Implementation of this decision would also
take place after the new budget was announced, said Khattak.

The defence minister also addressed the demands of provincial
organisations and made it clear that Prime Minister Imran Khan had
given instructions to the committee to resolve their issues and reach
decisions with them. Khattak stated that provincial governments would
be given directions so they can sit with the organisations and solve
their issues at the provincial level.
“We are apologetic about what happened yesterday [and it] should not
have happened. Sometimes delays happen [and] it does not mean we
are not working for you,” said the defence minister. Ali Muhammad
Khan also said he “appreciated” the protest movement and the prime
minister also believed in the people’s right to protest.
Ali Muhammad Khan also praised the role of the deputy commissioner,
the staff of the interior ministry and the police in handling the protest
but urged that measures be taken so yesterday’s events are not
repeated.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said negotiations were successful with
the cooperation of employees from grades 1 to 19. “I am thankful to
workers […] and Pervez Khattak for the solution of this problem.”
Federal employees had been complaining since a year about the
difference in their basic pays, according to the defence minister. He
said the final calculations of the government committee to resolve the
ongoing dispute showed “on average there was a difference of 60pc [in
pay] of federal employees.”
Sheikh Rashid said the government would remain in contact with the
employees and increases would be made in the future as well. He
clarified, however, that the salary increase was for federal employees
and employees of the federal secretariat.
The minister said that all protesters who had been arrested would be
released and FIRs (first information reports) registered against them
would be taken back.
In response to a question about policemen themselves being affected
during the previous day’s tear gas shelling, he said the cabinet would
approve the release the funds so that money could be provided to
police for “equipment that is in short supply”.