PESHAWAR: The police used tear gas to disperse a sit-in of government employees outside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly here on Monday.

A large number of employees had gathered outside the provincial legislature on the call of All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA), KP chapter, to press for their demands, including award 30 per cent disparity reduction allowance on the pattern of the federal government. The protesting employees first gathered at the Government High School No 1, Peshawar City, and later walked to the Khyber Road where they staged a sit-in outside the assembly building.

AGEGA KP president Abdul Wakeel told Dawn that police used tear gas to disperse the protesters after the traffic on the Khyber Road, the main artery linking GT Road with the University Road, was disrupted.

Mr Wakeel claimed that police also detained at least four protesters. However, he did not provide any names, saying since their alliance was a collection of more than 25 associations of government employees it was difficult for them to tell who had been picked up.

Protesters gathered outside PA to demand 30pc disparity reduction allowance

Mr Wakeel said that in the budget, the KP government announced 15pc disparity reduction allowance as compared to 30pc announced by the federal government and they were demanding of the provincial government to give them the same allowance as announced by the centre. Besides, he said that they were also demanding of the provincial government to withdraw pension cuts introduced by the previous government.

Mr Wakeel said that their other demands included teachers’ upgradation and regularisation of over 10,000 ad hoc teachers.

He said that following the tear gassing of protesters, MPA Haji Fazal Elahi met them and conveyed their demands to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. He said that the chief minister directed formation of a committee led by his adviser on finance to look into employees’ demands.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party and Awami National Party condemned the police action against the government employees.

PPP central general secretary Mohammad Humayun Khan condemned the tear gas shelling and violence against government employees at the Provincial Assembly Chowk.

In a statement issued here on Monday, he said that his party always denounced the use of force against government workers. “It was deeply distressing to witness the scene at the Provincial Assembly Chowk,” he said. “Those demanding a raise in their salaries should not be treated like enemies.”

Mr Humayun added that the PTI-led provincial government was only capable of exploiting the public. “Why does it bother them to increase the salaries of government employees?” he questioned. He noted that despite difficult circumstances, PPP always increased salaries of government workers.

He emphasised that lower-grade employees had fallen below the poverty line, and economic exploitation of public servants would not lead the country to progress. “We recognise the protesters’ democratic right and will stand shoulder to shoulder with them,” he declared. “Do not

target these oppressed government employees with tear gas and batons — they are not enemies, but poor Pakistanis demanding their rights.”

He further said that the brutal action taken by the provincial government was utterly unacceptable. “Using batons and tear gas against women is a highly condemnable act,” he stated. “Every citizen has the right to peaceful democratic protest, and it must not be suppressed by force. The provincial government should accept the legitimate demands of the employees and immediately release those who have been arrested.”

Meanwhile, ANP provincial spokesman Arsalan Khan Nazim also condemned the use of baton charge, tear gas, and arrests of government employees, who were protesting for their basic rights. He stated that the current government’s double standards were a slap in the face of democracy as it considered protests by those supporting a single prisoner as their “constitutional right” but used force against government employees and others demanding their rights, while referring to the PTI protests against imprisonment of the party’s founder Imran Khan.

Arsalan Nazim condemned the government’s action against its employees, calling it shameful and regrettable.

The ANP leader demanded immediate release of all arrested employees, particularly teachers, and called for dialogue with the protesters.

He questioned the current government’s competence and tolerance, saying it lacked the courage to form a jirga for addressing the demands of the protesters

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2025