Pakistan: Specially-abled citizens in Lahore protest against low wages
Aug 18, 2024
Lahore [Pakistan], August 18 : Several Specially-abled citizens in Pakistan's Lahore organised a protest outside the Lahore Press Club this week demanding a rise in salaries and regularisation of specially-abled government employees complaining that their compensation is not at par 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, and they have raised the issue several times but the administration continues to remain ignorant over the matter.
A visually impaired person, Fayaz stated, "We are merely demanding them to create a policy to ensure our salary hikes and regularisation. They are ignoring our complaints. Some of us have not received any salary hikes in 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 after 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 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 not heard," he said.
Abdul Waheed, another visually impaired individual stated "All of us 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."
