ISLAMABAD: The government employees from across the country staged a major protest demonstration on Constitution Avenue here at Red Zone on Friday, demanding salary reforms and service structure revisions in the upcoming federal budget 2026-27.
The demonstration began at Secretariat Chowk, where workers arriving from various provinces gathered before planning a march toward Parliament House. This mobilisation follows two days of consecutive sit-ins outside the Ministry of Finance, where employees have been consistently pressing the government to incorporate their financial demands into the national budget. Organisers stated that the protest comprises a broad spectrum of public-sector departments and pensioners’ organisations, including teachers, clerical staff, technical personnel, class-IV employees, and various labour unions.
In response to the demonstrations, Islamabad Capital Territory authorities implemented a stringent, specialised security strategy to prevent the protesters from reaching Parliament House. The law-enforcement agencies fortified the high-security zone by placing heavy containers to barricade major entry points and arterial routes, effectively blocking Iran Avenue, Kashmir Highway, and Peshawar Road to intercept demonstrators traveling from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Heavy contingents of police were also deployed at sensitive locations, including Tarnol and the Red Zone.
During the standoff, several protesters were taken into custody by the police as authorities remained on high alert to maintain law and order and protect restricted areas. The situation defused later in the evening when the demonstration dispersed peacefully following the release of the detained individuals by the police.
