Seeking raise, promotions: Police detain over 25 protesting clerks

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad police on Wednesday detained over 25 protesting clerks of various government departments trying to enter the Red Zone. They were protesting against the government for not increasing their salaries in the upcoming budget.

Over 800 protesters under the banner of All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) assembled at Argentina Park and tried to march towards Parliament House.



Majority of them were from Water and Powder Development Authority (Wapda) and were detained in different police stations including Aabpara, Secretariat and Kohsar.

“We want the government to promote us and increase our salaries by 20 per cent,” said ACPA President Aslam Khan.

The protesters claimed that thousands of clerks were waiting for their promotion since several years but the government was not bothered to revise their pay scale.

“It is the responsibility of government to revise my pay scale as I am working in grade seven since seven years,” said Wapda employee Muhammad Akbar.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the government.

Leading the protest, Khan, who too was later detained, said their basic objective was to force the government to fulfill their demand.

A senior police official said that the protesters came on the road after their negotiations with the finance secretary failed on June 2.

The police were yet to register an FIR against them till the story was filed.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2015.