Peshawar reels under civic shutdown as municipal workers strike
With the walkout, all municipal services—including sanitation, waste disposal, and other civic operations—ground to a halt. Offices under the metropolitan administration were locked, as workers vowed not to return until their financial dues are cleared.
The strike was announced following a meeting of the United Municipal Workers Union, chaired by Malik Muhammad Naveed and attended by key office bearers, including General Secretary Syed Waqar Ali Shah, President Ismail Khan, Finance Secretary Khawaja Aftab Elahi, and several senior leaders. The union has also planned a protest rally in the city to press their demands.
Speaking at the meeting, Naveed said the crisis had pushed thousands of low-paid employees and their families to the brink. 'Our households are facing starvation, while aged retirees, widows, and orphans run from office to office in vain, unable to access their pensions,' he said. He criticised senior officials for continuing to indulge in extravagant expenses while employees are deprived of their most basic rights.
Union leaders further alleged that around Rs7 million per month was being spent on daily-wage workers who, they claimed, were neither needed nor regularly seen on duty. 'This unnecessary expenditure is draining the limited resources of the metropolitan government while genuine employees are left unpaid,' the representatives said.
They warned that the strike would remain in force indefinitely until the government releases salaries and pensions, stressing that workers had no option but to resort to such drastic action.
The protest in Peshawar follows months of growing resentment across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's local bodies over inadequate financial support from the provincial government. In June, the K-P Local Government Employees Federation had voiced strong concern over the failure to release sufficient grants to pay salaries and pensions of employees in financially weak councils.
According to the federation, the finance department had approved grants of Rs360.4 million and Rs150 million for settled areas, and Rs71 million for merged districts. However, union leaders argued these amounts fell far short of the actual requirements of various Tehsil Municipal Administrations. They said the allocations were often based on outdated formulas, leaving weaker councils unable to pay staff on time.
Federation leaders, including Patron-in-Chief Shaukat Kayani, Chairman Mehboobullah, President Haji Anwar Kamal Khan Marwat, and General Secretary Sulaiman Khan Hoti, accused provincial authorities of ignoring ground realities. They lamented that many employees and pensioners could not receive their dues even ahead of Eidul Fitr and were again facing hardships in the run-up to Eidul Azha.
They urged the government to ensure fair and timely release of grants based on genuine financial needs rather than political considerations. 'Local government employees and pensioners should not be forced to beg for what is rightfully theirs,' one leader said.
As the strike continues in Peshawar, residents are bracing for worsening sanitation and civic conditions, while union leaders say the protest will only end once the government fulfills its commitments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
K-P unveils app for flood compensation
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has launched a mobile app-based digital payment system to ensure transparent and timely compensation for flood victims. Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur formally inaugurated the initiative on Monday. The newly developed app, "Digital Disaster Compensation Management", was created by the K-P Information Technology Board in record time and integrated with the government's central service delivery platform "Dastak." Through the system, flood-affected families will receive compensation for damaged properties directly via online transfers. Victims will be able to upload details of property losses and submit claims digitally. Using geo-tagging, the mechanism aims to eliminate false claims, while verification of damages and disbursement of payments will be fully automated. Officials said the process would remain completely paperless and cashless. A dedicated dashboard will allow the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and senior officials to monitor real-time data on reported damages and disbursed payments. Calling the launch a "major step" toward swift and transparent relief, Gandapur praised officials for developing the app within a short time. "This will not only provide quick payments to the victims but also guarantee transparency in the process," he remarked. In addition, the Chief Minister announced that he will donate his one-month salary to support flood victims across the province. Provincial cabinet members will contribute 15 days' salary, MPAs seven days' salary, Grade-17 and above officers two days' salary, while employees from Grade-1 to 16 will give one day's salary. To ensure accountability, Gandapur directed that a special account be set up under the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) with a clear and transparent mechanism for disbursing funds. He assured that every rupee would be properly accounted for and details made public. "The flood-affected people deserve our utmost attention and support," the Chief Minister said. "In this difficult time, all of us must come forward generously to help them." He said that government has intensified relief operations in the flood-affected districts, particularly in Buner, where emergency camps have been established to assist victims. In the first phase, compensation payments for the deceased and injured are already underway. Meanwhile, a survey to assess property losses is in progress. Chief Minister directed officials to ensure early completion of all compensation disbursements for fatalities and injuries. He further instructed the administration to expedite the survey of damages to private properties, including livestock and shops, and compile accurate data in the shortest possible time. Gandapur also emphasized providing cash assistance instead of ready-made food, enabling victims to utilize the funds according to their needs. The chief minister underlined the need for a transparent mechanism based on NADRA data to ensure fair distribution of aid. He also directed that district administrations must never face a shortage of funds for any relief activity, stressing the constant availability of financial resources.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Floods and failures
The devastation unleashed by flash floods in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has reached staggering proportions. At least 325 lives have been lost, over 150 remain missing and hundreds more lie injured as the province battles one of the most destructive monsoons in recent memory. Nationwide, the death toll has climbed to 657 since late June, including 171 children and 94 women - a grim reminder of the sheer human cost of our collective unpreparedness. The K-P government has announced Rs800 million in relief funds for affected districts and an additional Rs500 million for Buner, one of the worst-hit regions. While such allocations offer some respite, they remain little more than a stopgap move against the magnitude of suffering on the ground. Relief trucks and helicopters have been mobilised, yet vast swathes of the province remain cut off, with communities stranded and vulnerable to further deluges. With two to three more waves of heavy rain forecast in September, the dangers are far from over. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed his cabinet members to personally supervise relief operations, but this belated move highlights a deeper malaise. Year after year, Pakistan finds itself trapped in the same cycle of disaster and damage control. Yet lessons from the catastrophic 2022 floods appear to have been quickly forgotten. The response must now shift from ad hoc measures to systemic resilience. Emergency funds cannot substitute for disaster-proof infrastructure, nor can helicopters replace the need for climate adaptation strategies in vulnerable regions. K-P, with its mountainous terrain and fragile riverbanks, will continue to suffer unless the state invests in robust early warning systems and better urban planning. Unless disaster preparedness is embedded into policy, the toll of lives and livelihoods will continue to mount each year.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Civic workers strike over unpaid dues
Life in Peshawar was thrown into disarray on Monday after employees of the Capital Metropolitan Government launched an indefinite strike over non-payment of salaries and pensions. With the walkout, all municipal services, including sanitation, waste disposal and other civic operations, ground to a halt. Offices under the metropolitan administration were locked up as workers vowed not to return until their financial dues are cleared. The strike call was announced following a meeting of the United Municipal Workers Union, chaired by its chairman Malik Muhammad Naveed Awan and attended by key office bearers, including General Secretary Syed Waqar Ali Shah, President Ismail Khan, Finance Secretary Khawaja Aftab Elahi, and several senior leaders. The union has also planned a protest rally in the city to press their demands. Speaking at the meeting, Malik Naveed said the crisis had pushed thousands of low-paid employees and their families to the brink. "Our households are facing starvation, while aged retirees, widows, and orphans run from office to office in vain, unable to access their pensions," he said. He criticized senior officials for continuing to indulge in extravagant expenses while employees are deprived of their most basic rights. Union leaders further alleged that around Rs7 million per month was being spent on daily wage workers who, they claimed, were neither required nor regularly seen on duty. "This unnecessary expenditure is draining the limited resources of the metropolitan government while genuine employees are left unpaid," the union representatives said. They warned that the strike would remain in force indefinitely until the government ensures the release of salaries and pensions, stressing that workers were left with no option but to resort to such drastic action. The protest in Peshawar follows months of growing resentment across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's local bodies over inadequate financial support from the provincial government. In June, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Employees Federation had voiced strong concern over the failure to release sufficient grants to pay salaries and pensions of employees in financially weak councils. According to the federation, the Finance Department had approved grants of Rs360 million and Rs150 million for settled areas and Rs71 million for merged districts. However, union leaders argued these amounts fell far short of the actual requirements of various Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs). They said the allocations were often based on outdated formulas, leaving weaker councils unable to pay staff on time. Federation leaders, including Patron-in-Chief Shaukat Kayani, Chairman Mehboobullah, President Haji Anwar Kamal Khan Marwat, and General Secretary Sulaiman Khan Hoti, accused provincial authorities of ignoring ground realities. They lamented that many employees and pensioners could not receive their dues even ahead of Eidul Fitr and were now again facing hardships in the run-up to Eidul Azha.
