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Contingent employees in the education department of PoK's Gilgit Baltistan staged a protest outside the office of the chief secretary recently, demanding the 'promised' hike in their minimum wages.
Alleging discrimination, the protesters blamed the process of issuing a notification for the increment, which has been facing bureaucratic blockade, and excuses like 'low budget'. They said they would continue protesting for their rights which they claimed to be deprived of. "If they don't have a budget for us, they should cut down on their needless expenses. These administrators in the assembly have increased their salaries to up to 600 per cent, they should cut down on that! They should cut down on their lavishness and immorality. They are dropping the 'bomb of inflation' on the poor employees," Muhammad Khan, a government employee said. Another protester, Ejaz, said despite waiting patiently for five months, the government in the region has failed to notify the minimum wage. "It is not a big amount. If the secretary to the Finance Ministry cannot even sanction (PKR) 25 crore, then he doesn't deserve to occupy his chair in my view," he added. People working in different government departments in Gilgit-Baltistan often complain that their overdue salary hikes and promotions are routinely put on hold while the same allowances are given to their counterparts in Pakistan. (ANI)
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