ISLAMABAD - After facing severe criticism from quarters concerned, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday formed a committee to look into the matter of pay raise for civil servants in annual budget 2013-14. The committee will report to the minister within one week after calculating financial impact of increase in salary.
"Yes, I have constituted a committee to examine the matter of pay raise for civil servants," Dar told The Nation.
Political parties and civil servants had mauled Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led government for not announcing an increase in salary for civil servants in national budget.
In post-budget news conference, Dar defended his decision of not increasing salaries, saying the government had granted an allowance three months ago and a pay raise every three months was not affordable. He however assured civil servants would be compensated in the next budget.
In his briefing, the finance minister stated the allowance was only given to officials of federal ministries and other departments, such as education, health and police.
It may be mentioned here that civil servants in different cities of the country showed serious concerns over government's decision and warned to go on a strike. They demanded the government to increase salaries keeping in view soaring inflation in the country.
Meanwhile, rejecting the new budget that has nothing to offer for lower grade employees, the non-teaching staff of schools and colleges and postal office employees have sought either 100 per cent raise in their salaries or unified pay scales for the employees of all organisations.
The representatives of Joint Action Committee (JAC) of schools and colleges' employees that represents 11,000 employees and office-bearers of National Organisation of Postal Employees  (NOPE) that has 52,000 members across the country have demanded to revise discriminatory pay scales or else they will lock the office and start protests.
They said that they are in contact of other associations of employees of various departments and after consultations they will announce their strategy if the salaries are not increased.
In one city employees of various departments of same grades have been getting different salaries as the salary structures are discriminatory, said Sadaqat Abbsi, Chairman JAC of Federal Directorate of Education.
"Naib Qasid of Supreme Court gets Rs 38,000 and a clerk of National Assembly is paid over Rs 40,000 but the salaries of educational institutions' employees of grade 1 to 16 range from 5000 to 15000," he lamented.
He said that salaries of IB, FIA, FBR, and Special Education departments were raised 100 per cent during a couple of years and the AGPR and Secretariat Employees also got 20 per cent raise this year but the employees of a few institutes including schools and colleges and postal Offices are always ignored.
With the imposition of new taxes and duties, the already high prices of basic necessities will touch the sky and make the poor employees' lives more miserable. To make both ends meet will be difficult in the meagre salaries so they need immediate relief, maintained NOPE Islamabad President Mohammad Bilal.
"Cutting salaries and selling government organisations will generate no revenue. Such measures only increase corruption and hatred among employees against the government. To revitalise the economy, they will have to bring out plans," said an executive member of JAC, Imran Mughal.