Specially-Abled Citizens in Lahore Protest for Fair Salaries and Job Security
In Lahore, Pakistan, several specially-abled citizens organized a protest outside the Lahore Press Club this week. They demanded a rise in salaries and the regularization of specially-abled government employees, citing that their compensation is not keeping up with the rising inflation in Pakistan.
The protestors claimed that the government lacks a set method or rule for regularization or salary hikes for specially-abled employees. Despite raising the issue multiple times, the administration has remained unresponsive. Fayaz, a visually impaired protestor, stated, “We are merely demanding them to create a policy to ensure our salary hikes and regularization. They are ignoring our complaints. Some of us have not received any salary hikes in the last two years, and some of us have not even received salaries for around seven months. Despite our long service, we continue to serve as ad-hoc. We have raised this issue almost every six months. In a recent statement, the CM of Punjab province had stated that she does not know about the issues of the specially-abled. If the CM of a province does not know the issues of its citizens, what will others know? Some officers had tried to reach us but no conclusions were drawn from that meeting, but we will continue the protest till our voices are heard,” he said.
Abdul Waheed, another visually impaired individual, added, “All of us are non-permanent. After every three months, our employment contract ends, and then we have to run from office to office to get another job, and this is not acceptable. Sometimes, this process takes six months, and during that time, we remain unemployed. A normal citizen in this inflation finds it difficult to survive, and we suffer more. I don’t know why the government is not understanding our problems,” he said.
Another protestor, Saqib Hussain, said, “Everyone in Pakistan is struggling with employment problems. Hence, we are here to demand what is rightfully ours. We are merely demanding that we are treated as regular citizens, so what rights a normal person gets must be given to us.”
Doubts Revealed
Specially-abled -: Specially-abled means people who have physical or mental conditions that make certain activities harder for them. They might need extra help to do things that others can do easily.
Lahore -: Lahore is a big city in Pakistan, which is a country next to India. It’s known for its rich history and culture.
Protest -: A protest is when people gather together to show that they are unhappy about something. They want to tell others, especially the government, that they need changes.
Lahore Press Club -: The Lahore Press Club is a place where journalists and media people gather. It’s a good spot for protests because it helps get the attention of the news and the public.
Salary increases -: Salary increases mean getting more money for the work you do. People want their salaries to go up so they can afford things better, especially when prices rise.
Job regularization -: Job regularization means making temporary jobs into permanent ones. This gives workers more security and benefits.
Inflation -: Inflation is when the prices of things go up over time. It means you need more money to buy the same things you used to buy for less.
Compensation -: Compensation is the money or benefits people get for doing their job. It can include salary, bonuses, and other perks.
Delayed salaries -: Delayed salaries mean that people are not getting their pay on time. This can make it hard for them to pay for their needs.
Non-permanent employment -: Non-permanent employment means having a job that is not secure or long-term. People in these jobs might worry about losing their work anytime.
