Pakistan: AGEGA Punjab protest against pension cuts outside Civil Secretariat

The report stated that holding placards and banners, the protesters expressed their discontent with what they called the government's anti-worker policies.

The interim Punjab government had issued notifications slashing these employee benefits, which led AGEGA activists to demand that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz revoke the measures.

During a crackdown on protests by the interim administration, many AGEGA leaders were detained and taken to Jati Umrah for negotiations. There, Maryam Nawaz promised to address their concerns once the government assumed office.

Though the initial protest was called off, AGEGA leaders have continued their demonstrations outside the civil secretariat in recent months, pressing for the government to honour its commitment.

According to the Dawn, prominent figures from AGEGA, including Punjab Teachers Union president Rana Anwarul Haq, Rana Liaqat, Nadia Jamshaid, Saeed Namdar, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, Mian Arshad, Tahir Islam, Mirza Tariq, Rana Khalid, Mustafa Wattoo, and Ghafar Awan, addressed the gathering, reinforcing their demands for fair treatment.

The leaders pointed out that while the government had raised the salaries of parliamentarians, it had simultaneously slashed pensions and gratuities for employees. They criticized the elimination of Rule 17-A, which had provided financial benefits to the families of deceased employees.

The AGEGA leaders emphasized that government workers who had dedicated their youth to public service were now being left vulnerable in their old age, as reported by the Dawn.

The protesters vowed to continue their struggle for the reversal of the cuts, with plans for sit-ins in Lahore and Islamabad. They made it clear that they would not relent in their fight for fair and just treatment, urging the government to restore their benefits and improve employee welfare. (ANI)