Quetta, June 18 (IANS) The Balochistan Employees’ Grand Alliance have announced an indefinite shutdown of government offices, educational institutions and other public sector departments in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The alliance announced that a hunger strike unto death would begin in Quetta on June 19 and that the movement would be intensified if their demands are not met, local media reported on Thursday.
The alliance made the announcement after clashes erupted between employees and police, and several of its leaders were arrested. The alliance said its protest campaign will continue until the authorities agree to their demands, Pakistan-based daily Dawn reported.
The alliance’s protesters had planned to hold a march to the Balochistan Assembly and protest sit-in during the budget session. However, the local authorities deployed a heavy contingent of police and Frontier Corps personnel to stop their movement. The Balochistan Employees’ Grand Alliance leaders said the protest movement will be intensified after what they termed a “violent crackdown” on peaceful protesters.
As government employees tried to march towards the Assembly to protest against the provincial budget, police stopped them near Chaman Phatak, where rallies from different parts of Quetta had converged before attempting to move. Authorities used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
As per sources, police arrested over 10 leaders and workers. Protesters said that excessive force was used against peaceful protesters and over 10 leaders and workers of the alliance were arrested by the police, Dawn reported.
The alliance has rejected the seven per cent salary increase announced by the provincial government in the budget and demanded a 35 per cent disparity reduction allowance and a previously promised 25 per cent salary hike.
Earlier on June 2, leaders of the All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) Punjab said that soaring inflation in Pakistan had reduced the purchasing power of government employees, making it difficult for them to manage household expenses from their limited incomes.
In a joint statement on June 2, AGEGA leadership stated that provincial government employees, especially those in Punjab and other provinces, have not yet received the 30 per cent disparity allowance announced in the Federal Budget 2025-26; Pakistan’s other daily, The Express Tribune, reported. They stated that the Punjab government’s recent amendments to leave encashment rules have deprived employees of substantial leave encashment benefits, which they receive after retirement.
The alliance alleged that retired and serving employees of Punjab are facing reductions in pension, gratuity and leave encashment benefits. They had urged Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to announce measures for government employees in the Federal Budget 2026-27.
They had called for the extension of the 30 per cent disparity allowance announced in the Federal Budget 2025-26 to employees of all provinces, an additional 15 per cent increase, and the withdrawal of pension reforms, The Express Tribune reported.
In addition, they had demanded the merger of all ad hoc relief allowances into the basic pay scale and a comprehensive revision of pay structures, a rise of at least 50 per cent in salaries and pensions as per the current inflation and a minimum fivefold hike in house rent, medical and conveyance allowances.
–IANS
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