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Neither will there be revision of the national pay scale nor a new pay commission be formed during this interim period as the current government decides to leave the onus to its elected successor.
Such a stance is taken on assumption that the next government could be formed in January if election is held in December this year, as politicians continue harping on transition from the post-uprising era as early as this timeline.
A financial crunch has also shrunk the space for the interim government to address other voluminous issues and demands raised by government employees under national pay scale and staff of autonomous and semi-government entities, police, Ansar personnel, medical interns, nurses, paramedics, et al.
"Traditionally, interim governments do not make changes to the pay scale. The existing structure, which was last revised in 2015, may require updates, but that decision should be taken by the next political government," says Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in an exclusive interview with The Financial Express.
Asked about the ongoing demonstrations by various groups demanding salary adjustments and other benefits, the custodian of exchequer emphatically said that the government is carefully navigating these issues "amid severe resource constraints".
"We are focusing on necessary reforms, but we have to operate within our limited resources. Cutting essential development expenditures-such as infrastructure projects, local employment programmes, healthcare, education, and social-safety nets-is not an option," he states. There are several demands from the government autonomous bodies and the organisations who may have suffered injustice and discrimination.
However, he stresses that the government cannot fulfill a large volume of demands at once.
"Our priority is ensuring that any step we take does not create further unrest by provoking new groups to press their own demands," he explains possible cascading impact.
He reminds that the demands will put enormous pressure on government budget, at this trying time.
About the current waves of protests Dr Salehuddin attributed all this to widespread public expectations from the interim government following the August changeover.
"We understand that people have high hopes from us, but our mandate does not allow us to meet all these demands," the finance adviser says.
"Many of these demands are multidimensional, with the majority linked to financial matters, while others seek official recognition-such as incorporating outsourced workers into the government pay scale," Dr Salehuddin notes.
The distinctions among various sectors of employees are the result of flawed policies and political favoritism over the years. "Some entities were established for political reasons and now receive disproportionately high salaries, creating further discontent."
Reflecting on the past 15 years until the changeover, Dr Salehuddin points to widespread bad governance and corruption as major factors behind the accumulation of unresolved grievances.
However, he reiterates that resolving these complex issues would take time and require careful policy decisions beyond the scope of the interim administration.
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