PATIENTS and their attendants desperately wait outside Sukkur Civil Hospital’s locked OPD section for its reopening on Monday. (Right) Agitating employees hold a sit-in on press club road in Hyderabad.—Dawn
SUKKUR/LARKANA/HYDERABAD: Thousands of patients had to suffer agonising disruption in their treatment at almost all government healthcare facilities, including major hospitals, on Monday as Sindh government employees prolonged their strike over newly introduced pension reforms.
The strike, observed on a call given by the Sindh Employees Alliance (SEA) for Sept 23-27, continued on Monday without any formal announcement.
Labour leaders addressing participants of different rallies, demonstrations and sit-ins held in all cities and towns of the province told the audience that the strike was being prolonged due to Sindh government’s indifference towards their sustained struggle and even the five-day strike.
The SEA had on Saturday declared end to the strike on Saturday as per the original schedule and announced that in the next phase, a sit-in would be held outside Bilawal House in Karachi on October 6 if its demands were not met by then.
Health, education, revenue and over 35 other departments stay shut for a seventh consecutive day over pension reforms
Patients and their attendants at all government hospitals and healthcare units were seen desperately seeking doctors’ advice and treatment but in vain due to absence of doctors, paramedics and other staff at OPDs. Only emergency services were available at these facilities.
Departments stay shut
More than 40 departments, including health, education and revenue, remained shut across Sindh for a seventh consecutive day causing immense problems to millions of people seeking official services.
At each department, scores of people, including those coming from far flung areas, were seen being turned back by striking employees present outside their locked offices.
At Sukkur Civil Hospital, patients and attendants of in-house patients were seen waiting outside the locked OPDs and begging doctors and paramedics to spare a few minutes to give their advice. But they were denied any help.
The number of patients visiting the hospital along with their attendants rain into hundreds by the evening.
The agitating employees held a demonstration on the hospital’s premises and kept raising slogans against pension reforms and the ruling party’s indifference towards their plight.
They vowed to continue the strike until their demands were met.
In Larkana, a complete lockout of hospitals, universities, colleges, schools and departments was observed on Monday on SEA’s call.
The alliance’s main demands are withdrawal of the ‘black law’ pertaining to pension and the release of the Disparity Reduction Allowance (DRA).
Male and female doctors, paramedics, officers, clerks and other employees wore black armbands and held a sit-in for four hours in the scorching heat in front of the Larkana Press Club. They carried banners and placards inscribed with their demands and kept raising slogans.
The SEA strike is supported by Government Secondary Teachers Association, Primary Teachers Association, APCA Sindh, Gazetted Officers Association, Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (Sukkur region), Highways CBA, All Universities Employees Association, Pakistan Paramedical Staff Association, Pakistan Medical Association, (Hyderabad) and many other organisations.
SPLA rejects pension reforms
The central executive meeting of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) decided to reject the Sindh government’s pension reforms and announced full support for the Sindh Employees Alliance in their demand to withdraw the so-called reforms.
This was decided in a meeting held on Monday at Government Degree Boys College, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, under the chairmanship of the central president of SPLA, Professor Munawar Abbas.
It was decided to take legal action against the freezing of house rent, conveyance allowance and medical allowance and stressed that the same be increased in line with inflation.
PTI submits resolution in PA
The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Sindh, on Monday threw its weight behind the ongoing protest of government employees, with its lawmaker Sajad Ali Soomro tabling a resolution in the Sindh Assembly demanding immediate withdrawal of pension reforms.
The resolution stated that the provincial government had attempted to deprive employees of their economic rights under the guise of reforms. It described the move as ‘economic murder’ of employees and urged the government to address their legitimate demands without delay.
The resolution warned that depriving employees of their pension was tantamount to ‘robbery of rights’ and an ‘act of sheer injustice’. It said government servants depend on pension for their livelihood after retirement, and stripping them of this facility was unacceptable.
Highlighting the impact of the ongoing strike, the PTI lawmaker said educational institutions across the province had been closed for a week, placing students’ future at serious risk. He cautioned that further closures would not only affect education but also disrupt wider public services.
Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2025