Gilgit Baltistan: Teachers stage protest against administration, demand hike in minimum wages

Gilgit-Baltistan [PoK], December 9 (ANI): A large number of teachers, professors, staff members and students of public education institutions held a sit-in against the administration in Gilgit Baltistan.
The teachers and professors complain that their minimum wages have not been raised even after serving for many years at public educational institutions.
A woman professor who joined the protest with the other employees said, "Till now they have not given any confirmation. We are running schools and colleges; we are two contingents who are running these institutions. We just forward one representative amongst ourselves, we don't have a (proper body) to represent our issues which is why we have been left behind. We, ladies, are (protesting), our brothers too are with us, how much they have to bear! We are with them. We will stand and protest alongside them whenever they ask us."
Amid high inflation, when essential commodities have become more expensive than ever before, contractual employees are finding it hard to run their normal livelihoods. They lambasted the Gilgit Baltistan assembly for dropping a 'bomb of inflation' and hiking the salaries of ministers and officials to the tune of 600 per cent.
"If they don't have a budget for us, they (administrators) should cut down on their needless expenses. These administrators in the assembly have increased their salaries to the tune of 600%, they should cut down on that! They should cut down on their lavishness and immorality! They are dropping the 'bomb of inflation' on the poor employees" said another employee.
The protestors complain that although the order to increase the minimum wage has been passed, they have not received any notification from the finance ministry of Gilgit Baltistan. The employees have highlighted the issue of increment several times in the past but the administration has remained apathetic to their issues.
A resentful protestor, highlighting the apathetic attitude of the administration, said, "The Gilgit Baltistan Finance Ministry has not yet released the notification. We have tried to hold a dialogue with them many times, and they asked us for more time, and we kept the peace, but even after five months the administration has failed to notify us. This is not a big amount, it is not a huge amount."
Teachers in Gilgit-Baltistan have protested for several reasons, including the regularisation of jobs, for adequate salaries and non-payment of salaries.
Teachers and staff at Karakoram International University have protested for non-payment of salaries, while private school teachers have protested against irregularities in the recruitment process.
Gilgit Baltistan is an illegally occupied territory by Pakistan. The ethnic residents have no representation in governance and policy-making processes in their land. In recent times, there have been massive uprisings against the administration and it seems there will be more such protests considering the current scenario in Gilgit Baltistan. (ANI)