MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Employees of the Health Department Azad Kashmir on Monday staged a sit-in protest at Azadi Chowk in Muzaffarabad, demanding the fulfillment of their legitimate demands.
Hundreds of male and female employees raised strong slogans against the government, announcing that the protest will continue until their demands are met.
The employees’ demands include the provision of risk allowance, health allowance, service structure reforms, including promotion, grade adjustment, and career progression.
They are also demanding the elimination of inequality, so that the difference in benefits between doctors and other staff is eliminated, and the permanence of the contract of temporary employees.
Moreover, they have also demanded an increase in service benefits, including additional allowances and other benefits.
The protesters said that the government should accept their demands and find an immediate solution to the problem. They made it clear that the scope of the protest will be expanded if necessary.
JAAC warns of protests
Last week, the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) held an emergency online meeting during which the members expressed their serious concern regarding the non-fulfillment of the government’s earlier promises.
The press release issued by the committee stated that the members expressed their concern regarding the non-removal of the names of the members of the movement from the Exit Control List (ECL)and the Provisional National Identification List (PCL) despite the government’s earlier promises given during the meeting held on February 2.
The members of the committee also referred to the case of Mujtaba bin Faiz Farooqui, who is the core committee member of the movement and was denied traveling abroad for Umrah due to the restrictions on his passport.
The members of the committee warned that if the passports of the members of the movement were not restored and the names of the members of the movement were not removed from the ECL and the PCL, the matter would be discussed in detail in the next meeting scheduled for March 30.
