Tiff emerges among AGEGA, APCA leaders

Differences have emerged among the leaders of All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) and All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) over the decision to abruptly call off the ongoing strike and lockdown of educational institutions across Rawalpindi Division on mere verbal commitments by the government officials.

According to sources, an influential group has termed the government’s promise a ‘lollipop’. “The arrested leaders were released on the orders of the Lahore High Court. Crediting this release to the caretaker government is tantamount to destroying the protest movement,” the sources quoted the group’s members as saying. “Now we will have to wait for six months to start the movement again,” they added.

Also read: Govt employees’ protest paralyses Pindi

On the other hand, the group which ended the strike termed the decision the biggest victory of the employees in the country’s history, saying the release of the arrested leaders was a major and revolutionary step by the caretaker government.

In order to cement their narrative, members of the rival group argued that no government official, minister or secretary assured acceptance of their demands. “A major political party has made this promise,” they claimed, adding it was questionable to abruptly call off the strike at midnight. “No other leaders were consulted and the strike was called off at once. If these demands are not accepted within a week, all the teachers, AGEGA and APCA who ended the strike will have to resign from their positions,” they warned.

A large number of teachers and clerks refused to welcome the leaders who returned from Lahore after ending the strike.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2023.