Muzaffarabad [PoJK], May 28 : Several retired government officials from multiple departments on Monday staged a protest in front of the Prime Minister's Secretariat of Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) at Muzaffarabad.
The protestors demanded the urgent approval of increased pensions as per the skyrocketing inflation.
The protest was led by the former secretary of PoJK's PWD, Mushtaq Awan. Additionally, these protesting officials of PoJK also raised their demands for medical benefits that are currently available to the officials of Punjab Province in Pakistan.
During the protest, the leader and the former government official of PWD Mushtaq Awan stated "They keep saying our pensions are a burden on them (government), but in reality, their acts of corruption are the real burden on us. Their acts of corruption are often caught and they are proven guilty and even then they are not questioned. And now, when we ask for the rights of our well-deserved pensions, after serving PoJK for our entire lives we are rejected."
"Many of us were there, serving the people when PoJK was suffering through disasters like floods and landslides. And now we are left here to suffer and no one is listening to us. Hence, we demand that our people be given their deserved pensions without any compromise according to inflation. We have repeatedly raised our voices, we have sent notices and we have raised requests but no one is ready to hear our voices, in front of the general secretary, PM of Pakistan and PM of PoJK. They never give any importance to our issues," Awan stated.
Previously, PoJK indulged in massive protests in May when the administration had similarly avoided the demands of the people for over 10 months. However, the four-day-long protest was revoked after the PM of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif announced a relief package for PoJK.
Although, the local leaders of PoJK belonging to the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) have announced the resumption of its protest campaign in Muzaffarabad starting May 27.
This decision comes in the wake of eight key demands that, the committee has put forth, which they assert must be met to halt their actions.
The JKJAAC's demands include the transfer of all hydropower projects, including the Mangla Dam, to the government of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
They are also demanding the declaration of PoJK as a load-shedding-free zone, and the establishment of a judicial commission comprising high court judges to investigate corruption within the PoJK Food Department.
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