QUETTA: Employees of the Federal Levies Force continued their protest for a third consecutive day on Sunday, demanding the Balochistan government fulfill promises regarding their merger, unpaid salaries, and retirement packages.
The protesters have established a camp on Adalat Road in the premises of the Quetta Press Club. They state that Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti had pledged to merge the Federal Levies with the Balochistan Levies, release their frozen salaries, and provide a “golden handshake” retirement benefit to aged employees. To date, none of these core demands—including the implementation of a sons’ job quota—have been met.
“Due to these failed promises, the miseries of the employees increase day by day,” a protester said. The demonstrators have vowed to continue their sit-in until the government takes concrete action to resolve their long-standing issues.
Meanwhile the Government of Balochistan has abolished the contract employment system within the provincial health department, mandating that all future appointments for doctors and medical staff be made permanently through the Public Service Commission (PSC).
According to an official notification, this policy shift has led to the immediate abolition of all contract posts for specialists, assistant professors, and registrars. To fill the resulting vacancies, the Health Department has requested the PSC to process appointments for 1,003 positions in Grade 16 and 17.
The breakdown of the 1,003 new permanent posts includes 560 Medical Officers (MOs), 346 Female Medical Officers, and 97 Dental Officers.
The decision has been welcomed by healthcare professionals. Leaders of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) praised the move, calling it a “milestone for the youth of the province.” They stated that permanent appointments through a transparent commission would significantly improve the quality of public healthcare services by ensuring job security and attracting qualified candidates.
