Govt employees stage demonstration at secretariat

Employees from various ministries and departments staged a large-scale protest inside the secretariat today, demanding the repeal of the “Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.”

Around 11:00 am, a large number of protestors left their respective offices and joined the demonstration. They brought out a procession within the secretariat compound and marched through the corridors of different ministries.

The procession ended in front of the finance ministry’s new building (building-11), where the employees staged a sit-in and chanted slogans demanding the withdrawal of the ordinance.

The protests have been going on since 24 May, when employees of various ministries and departments began protesting against the draft ordinance. Despite the protests, the government promulgated the ordinance on 25 May. Since then, the employees have regularly been holding protests, work abstention, and also submitted memorandums to advisers.

After the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, protests resumed inside the secretariat last Monday. Participation was relatively lower right after Eid, but a large number of employees joined today’s protest.

Despite the ongoing protests in such a sensitive place, the government has yet to make an official decision regarding their demand. It, however, formed a review committee comprising two advisers and the cabinet secretary, to assess the ordinance.

The protesting employees have labeled the ordinance a "black law" and vowed to continue their movement until it is repealed.