TAXILA: All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) has rejected the federal government’s mini-budget and staged a demonstration in Attock on Tuesday against rising inflation.

Clerical staff of various provincial government departments, including building, education, family planning, health and agriculture, protested against the highest-ever inflation in the country’s history.

Carrying banners and placards, the protesters raised slogans against the government.

Addressing the protesting employees, the APCA leaders rejected the move to increase petroleum prices, impose new taxes worth Rs172 billion, raise interest rate by 1pc and general sales tax to 18pc as well as hike in electricity and gas tariff.

They alleged that rulers were looting the national exchequer to strengthen their respective parties and not providing relief to government employees.

The low salary staff was on the brink of starvation, the APCA leaders said, adding that they would continue their struggle till their demands were accepted.

Speaking on the occasion, All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) Attock chapter President Ahmed Khan said the rulers should meet the International Monetary Fund’s conditions by cutting expenses rather than raising taxes and prices of petroleum products, electricity, gas and GST.

The association’s joint secretary, Shabbir Ahmed Awan, went on to say that salaries should be increased in accordance with inflation because employees could not even afford two meals a day. He said the government had broken the employees’ backbones by raising prices of utility bills and petroleum products.

“The mini-budget should be withdrawn immediately as this will make it impossible for the poor to make ends meet,” he said.

“Finance Minister Ishaq Dar should admit his failure and resign,” APCA district education unit president Abdul Sattar said, adding that, “we will take to the streets and launch an agitation if our demands are not met”.

APCA Pindigheb chapter also observed a pen-down strike and staged a protest at the municipal committee on Tuesday.

Addressing the participants, APCA Pindigheb President Noman Arif said owing to the prevailing inflation in the country, almost all segments of the society were suffering, but the salaried class was the worst affected.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2023