ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Monday demanded significant relief for government employees and pensioners, just a day before the federal budget for FY2025-26 is set to be presented.
Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, Head of the PPP Labour Bureau, urged the federal government to increase government employees’ salaries by at least 50% and to double pensions under the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) scheme.
The party also called for raising the national minimum wage from the current Rs37,000 to Rs50,000 per month.
Addressing a press conference, Mr Ahmed said the PPP would join a protest rally of government employees outside Parliament on budget day (Tuesday), where Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is scheduled to present the fiscal plan.
Citing recent World Bank data, he said that 44% of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line, making it imperative to provide economic relief to low-income earners.
He further demanded:
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Improved health facilities for industrial workers,
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Increases in marriage and death grants, and
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The merging of ad hoc relief into the basic pay structure of public servants.
Mr Ahmed also opposed proposed pension reforms, urging the government to roll them back in light of the financial hardships facing retirees.
