Syed Aman Shah, Awaam Pakistan Party Balochistan Provincial Convener and Provincial General Secretary Prof. Dr. Haleem Sadiq have completely rejected the provincial budget presented by the Balochistan government, stating that it is the worst budget in the province’s history and is both anti-public and anti-employee. They said that the budget offers no meaningful relief to ordinary citizens, government employees, laborers, farmers, youth, or the unemployed.
In their joint statement, they noted that the people of the province are already suffering from severe inflation, unemployment, insecurity and economic hardship. Yet, the government has failed to introduce any effective measures in the budget to address these issues. They further stated that government employees, who are facing serious financial difficulties due to rising inflation, have been treated unfairly as the government has not provided a substantial increase in their salaries and benefits.
The leaders strongly condemned the baton charge, tear gas shelling and arrests of government employees who were peacefully protesting during the budget session for their legitimate rights and demands. They said that such state violence is unacceptable in a democratic era and revives memories of martial law periods, when authorities attempted to silence dissent through force.
They emphasized that the employees were protesting peacefully for their constitutional and legal rights. Still, instead of choosing dialogue and mutual understanding, the government resorted to force, which further aggravated the situation. Violence against protesting employees, they said, is an insult to the entire working class.
Syed Aman Shah and Prof. Dr. Haleem Sadiq demanded the immediate release of the arrested employees, withdrawal of all cases filed against them, proper medical treatment for injured employees, and the acceptance of the employees’ legitimate demands through serious negotiations with their representatives.
They stated that Awaam Pakistan Party Balochistan stands with the people and employees and will continue to support every democratic, constitutional, and peaceful right to protest. They urged the government to take practical steps to resolve public issues, control inflation, and improve employees’ welfare; otherwise, public unrest and protests will continue to grow, and the provincial government will bear full responsibility.
