Pak govt employees announce sit-in as fuel, electricity tariffs spike

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Pakistani government employees are set to hold a sit-in outside the country’s Finance Ministry from Monday, demanding a raise in their salaries owing to the unprecedented increase in the fuel and electricity tariffs.

An alliance of government employees on Friday announced that they will hold a token sit-in outside the finance ministry to press for a hike in the upcoming budget, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The employees should be given a 50 per cent pay increase, said Rehman Bajwa, Chief Coordinator of All Government Employees Grand Alliance.

“The purpose of our token sit-in will be to sensitise the government on the issue of the employees. On June 9, we will hold a dharna which will be participated by thousands of employees from across the country,” he said and added that the government had increased petroleum prices by up to PKR 60 per litre which will cause a hike in the prices of other items. Therefore, the government employees should be given a raise in their salaries in accordance with the inflation rate, he said.

Bajwa said the employees will not call off their strike until getting an assurance from the government to implement last year’s agreement to end the ad hoc relief and make it a part of regular salaries.

“Employees are apolitical, we have nothing to do with politics but we will take to the streets for our rights,” said Bajwa.

This sit-in comes as Shehbaz Sharif’s government has unleashed a cumulative 40 per cent hike in fuel prices as well as a 47 per cent increase in the per unit tariff for electricity.

With the inflation rate skyrocketing, credit rating agency Moody’s Investor Services, has downgraded Pakistan’s outlook to ‘negative’ from an earlier ‘stable’ rating citing the country’s “heightened external vulnerability”.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has criticized the government for the massive hike.

“Imported govt has increased petroleum prices by 40% or Rs 60 per litre. This will increase burden on the public by Rs 900 bn & price hike in basic necessities. Plus, the Rs 8 increase in electricity price will put entire country into shock. Expect inflation by 30% highest in 75 yrs,” Imran Khan tweeted. (ANI)