The situation in the federal capital has turned tense after police and government employees, who are protesting for raise in their salaries, engaged in clashes at Constitution Avenue.
Islamabad police resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse the government employees when they tried to head towards the Parliament House, which falls under the Red Zone area.
#Islamabad D Chowk right now#EmployeesProtest pic.twitter.com/5RKYOVQM7S
— Asma Shirazi (@asmashirazi) February 10, 2021
The government employees had announced to march toward the parliament following the arrest of their leaders in an overnight action.
Protests are being held at different points in the capital, including Constitution Avenue, D Chowk and outside the National Press Club.
DIG (operations) Afzal Ahmed Kausar and other senior police officers are monitoring the situation. Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafaqat was also present at the scent to monitor the situation.
Lady health workers and government employees now marching from Islamabad Press Club to Red Zone where police is already using tear gas against secretariat employees demanding raise in salaries. pic.twitter.com/2vu6jaJ3me
— Asma Shirazi (@asmashirazi) February 10, 2021
Several employees were arrested by police under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).
A number of protesters and security officials were injured in the ongoing clashes while some fell unconscious due to the tear gas.
The government employees, who have also support from over grade 17 officers, demand 40% increase in their salaries.
The All Pakistan Clerks Association and government employees of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh are also demanding increase in their salaries.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed talking to media said that the government was ready to raise the salaries of employees from grade1-16, which makes 95% of total federal staff.
Islamabad Police VS Government Employees Round Two Start #government pic.twitter.com/gqQ5SDcIwj
— BreakingNews (@CapitalDiplo) February 10, 2021
He added that the protesting employees were backing out from their agreement as they now wanted an increase in the salaries of officers of above the grade 17 also. The minister said that raising the salaries of high-level officer will put an additional burden of billions of rupees on the national economy.
Rasheed said that the Centre had nothing to do with the salaries of the provincial employees as the matter did not come under its domain.
