Protesting employees in Pak's Balochistan give 24-hour deadline to govt over pay raise

After six days of protests by government employees demanding an increase in their salaries, no headway was achieved on Saturday in negotiations between government representatives and leaders of the protesting employees.

The leaders of the employees' grand alliance on Saturday gave the government 24 hours for acceptance of their demands and threatened to block all highways in Balochistan if the demands were not met, reported Dawn.

"We will block all national highways linking Balochistan with the rest of the country, if the provincial government fails to issue a notification about 25 per cent increase in our salaries and meet our other demands," said Abdul Salam, secretary-general of the Government Employees and Workers Alliance.

The government employees have refused to call off their protest until the official notification is issued.

However, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan said that the province would face an additional burden of Rs 10-15 billion if the demands of protesting employees are met.

Expressing concern over the protests, he said that if the government employees do their job properly, their salaries would be increased twice. He also urged the protesters to seriously consider the matter and take things in the right direction keeping in view the situation facing the province.

Earlier, The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Saturday came out in support of protesting government employees in Pakistan's Balochistan province as they continue to hold their sit-in following failed negotiation between the government and their representatives over the issue of salary hike.

A large number of employees have set up their sit-in camps on the roads linking the governor and chief minister houses.

Earlier this week, the provincial government in Balochistan imposed Section 144 in Quetta district for two weeks to ban all public gatherings after a sit-in protest call was given by the Teachers' Association.

The order came amid the call for the protest given by the Teachers Association in Quetta over the issue of salary. On Sunday, a large number of teachers had reached Quetta to participate in the protest.

( With inputs from ANI )