LAHORE: Punjab public schoolteachers have yet again demanded the provincial government to grant them 20 percent pay raise. Talking to Daily Times on Sunday, representatives of Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) Sajjad Kazmi Group have demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to accept their demand of a pay raise. “Besides, the government should also increase house rent and medical allowance up to 50 percent,” they said. Punjab Teachers Union President Muhammad Sarfraz said that inflation was getting out of control, which was causing severe problems for common people, especially government employees. “ The increase in salaries of government employees up to 10 percent is not enough keeping in view the rise in inflation.” Sarfraz said that most of the government employees were dependent on only one source of income to meet their expenses, and it had become very difficult for the government employees to make both ends meet with a meagre increase in salaries. “Besides, the government has imposed several new taxes, which will obviously increase burden on government employees and teachers as well.” It might be mentioned that both Punjab and federal government had announced 10 percent increase in salaries and pension of serving and retired government employees, respectively, a move severely criticised by government employees and trade unions. He said that the government should announce 20 percent increase in salaries of teachers of schools, colleges and universities. “Teachers are nation builders who strive to make future of any country safe and secure, therefore, the government should support them in the larger interest of the country,” he added. He also urged the government to offer medical facilities or medical allowances to retired government employees. “The government should restore the medical allowance to pensioners as senior citizens need more healthcare facilities,” he concluded.