Rawalpindi:
Several associations of employees and pensioners, including the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA), all employees of the Gran Alianza (Agega) government, union of railway workers, Union of Punjab teachers, association of educators and association of railway pensioners, have directly rejected the new federal budget, labeling it as a “traditional place of words”. They warn that the budget will lead to a stormy increase in inflation, pushing 50% of families below the poverty line.
The leaders condemned the mere increase of 10% in salaries as “insignificant and shameful”, predicting an increase in suicides and hunger. They affirmed that pension reforms have “buried alive” effectively to pensioners.
Shehzad Manzoor Kiyani, central vice president of Apca, and divisional president Chaudhry Mubashir declared that the budget is a “severe joke” for government employees. They highlighted the marked contrast to the important salary increases for members of assemblies and ministers, while employees are being “buried alive.” The elimination of ministries, divisions, institutions and 40,000 positions will devastate low -income segments.
Muhammad Shafiq Bhalwalia, general central secretary of the Association of Education Pensioners, described the minimum salary increase for teachers, employees and pensioners in the middle of the very high “ridiculous” inflation. He pointed out that the ministers, members of the Assembly, senators, advisors, president of the Senate and Speakers of Assemblies have seen a gradual increase of 650% in their salaries before the budget.
He argued that a comparison between budget records 2024-2025 and the increase without control of privileges and salaries for the ruling class demonstrates that this budget is pro governor, but it is certainly not pro-employed or pensioners. He added that pension reforms are destroying the future of employees, pushing them into poverty abyss.
Mubarak Hussain, general secretary of the Central of the Union of Railway Workers, declared that the budget was designed to benefit the government’s budins, with the business and trade class reaping all the advantages of tax reductions. He accused the government of favoring its political and commercial fraternity, qualifying the 10% salary increase a “waste assignment” and the 7% pension increases a “mockery”, similar to giving pensioners poison.
He said that the Government extracts RS600 billion in employee taxes without providing any benefits, while those who pay RS8 billion in taxes enjoy benefits throughout the year. Demanded an abolition of salary tax for employees who earn RS600,000 to RS1.2 million, and that the collection of taxes of grades 17 to 22 should be only 10%. He noted that taxes on the salaries of Parliament, senators and members of the National Assembly have not been imposed, suggesting that a 25%tax must be imposed.
Rana Liaquat and Basharat Iqbal Raja, leaders of the Association of Punjab educators, said that the Government has treated state institutions as a “widow” and employees as “widowers”, which leads to a complete loss of confidence in the current administration.
