KP rescue workers get pay boost for joining political march

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has upgraded pay scales and extended retirement benefits for its emergency services department following its staff's participation in a political protest march to Islamabad.

In this surprising development, the KP Rescue 1122 department has received significant benefits, with pay scales now matching Punjab's standards and the retirement age extended to 60 years.

These overnight reforms appear to be driven not by performance evaluations but rather by recent political events—specifically, last month’s protest march to Islamabad led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. He was spearheading the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) demonstrations against the 26th Constitutional Amendment and advocating for party founder and ex-premier Imran Khan's release.

A very warm welcome

At approximately 2 a.m. this morning, Rescue 1122 personnel—who had been detained during the D-Chowk protest in Islamabad—were released and received at the KP Chief Minister's residence.

The Chief Minister extended a warm welcome to the released personnel, greeting them with flower petals and announcing a package of promotions and rewards.

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Only the 42 rescue workers who joined last month's march — including firefighters, drivers, and medical technicians — received one-step promotions and an extra month's salary.

On the other hand, all department employees will benefit from increased pay scales matching Punjab province's rates and an extended retirement age of 60.

Director defends benefits

Muhammad Ayaz Khan, Director General of Rescue 1122, confirmed the benefits package to Nukta while defending his staff's presence at the demonstration.

"Our department’s support to the government was constructive," Khan said. "As emergency service providers, we have an obligation to be present at public gatherings and marches to respond to any potential accidents or emergencies."

Khan said rescue workers treated protesters injured by shell fire and accidents during the march, while firefighters extinguished fires at multiple locations. He criticized federal authorities for detaining on-duty emergency personnel.

Khan argued that the staff was only performing their official duties, and the federal government took severe action against them, including detaining on-duty rescue workers.

Legal experts divided

Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Imran Shafique told Nukta that the Chief Minister's actions fall within legal bounds. "The Chief Minister has the authority to approve departmental promotions and pay raises based on budgetary allocations. This process is entirely legal," he said.

However, Supreme Court Advocate Hafiz Ahsaan Khokhar disagreed, calling the decision unprecedented and unlawful. "Never in Pakistan's history has a provincial government rewarded with promotions and bonuses the same individuals who were arrested by federal authorities during protests while away from their duties," he told Nukta.

Khokhar warned that this sets a dangerous precedent, potentially enabling future governments to manipulate public servants for political purposes. He emphasized that the employees have only secured bail, with their legal proceedings still underway. "Their guilt or innocence remains to be determined by the court," he added.