PoK: Secretariat employees protest over non-payment of allowance

Muzaffarabad [PoK], May 30 : Secretariat employees in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) held a protest over the non-payment of allowance and shouted slogans against the government.

One employee said, "Our demand is that we should be given a secretariat allowance along with arrears from January. We also demand that a notification be issued in this regard. The Government can spend money on buying cars. We do not pose obstacles to the government's expenditure. However, employees should be given their rights."

Another protester said that while employees in Punjab have received allowances from January they continue to suffer due to non-payment of allowances amid the inflation.

"Employees of the Punjab Secretariat have received allowance from January onwards. However, we continue to call on the government to give the allowance to the employees here. People are facing difficulties due to inflation. We continue to demand that employees be given their rights and allowance be released for employees," another protester said.

Last week, a group of women held a protest against the government in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir's (PoK's) Muzaffarabad over non-payment of their salaries under the 'Kamyab Khwateen Programme.'

A woman said, "They can pay crores of rupees to Imran Khan. Can they not give Rupees 13,000 salary to the employees? We have been working hard but we have not received pay for our work. We were given assurance that they will give salary and package during Ramzan. However, nothing was paid to us. Today, we came here to protest, however, the staff pushed us out. We are demanding our right."

Another woman said that they have not been paid and urged the authorities to pay them their salaries.

Another woman said, "We did all the work that was given to us, including handicrafts and stitching. The teachers have pushed us out and locked the industry. They threatened us that they will see who will give them the payment. We were 226 workers working there and their attendance has been marked in the register. I call on the government to pay us."