Hundreds of federal government employees staged a protest in Islamabad on Tuesday, demanding a 150 percent disparity allowance for officials from Grade-1 to Grade-16. The demonstrators urged the government to provide the same financial benefits already available to employees in higher grades.
The protest took place outside the Ministry of Finance and Revenue, where participants called for equal treatment in government pay policies. They argued that lower-grade employees continue to face a significant gap in salaries and allowances despite performing essential public sector duties.
Employees Call for Equal Pay Benefits
Staff members from the Federal Secretariat, Capital Development Authority (CDA), and Islamabad Electric Supply Corporation (IESCO) participated in the demonstration. Later, employees from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and several other government departments also joined the protest.
The protesters said officials from Grade-17 to Grade-22 already receive an Executive Allowance. According to them, this benefit has substantially increased the salaries of higher-grade officers.
They claimed that the allowance raised the salaries of senior officials from around Rs70,000 to Rs200,000. In comparison, they said employees from Grade-1 to Grade-16 received salary increases ranging between Rs3,000 and Rs7,000.
Protesters Seek 150% Disparity Allowance
The demonstrators urged the government to approve a 150 percent disparity allowance for lower-grade employees. They argued that such a measure would reduce the pay gap between junior and senior government staff.
Furthermore, they said fair compensation would improve employee morale and help address long-standing salary disparities within the public sector.
The protesters called on the Ministry of Finance to review the existing allowance policy and extend similar financial relief to employees from Grade-1 to Grade-16. They maintained that equal benefits would promote fairness and recognize the contributions of lower-grade government workers.
The demonstration remained peaceful as employees continued demanding immediate action on their allowance request. They expressed hope that the government would address their concerns during the upcoming discussions on public sector salaries.
