LAHORE, Nov 27: Thousands of teachers, doctors and students held a protest demonstration at the Islamia College for Women, Cooper Road, on Wednesday.

They, however, called off the protest march from the college to the Assembly Hall following the assurance by chief minister-designate Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi that he would seriously look into the matter after assuming the charge.

The teachers, doctors and students warned the government to accept their welfare-oriented demands till Dec 11 otherwise they would launch a jail bharo campaign.

MPA Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal conveyed the message of Pervaiz Elahi to the Joint Action Committee (JAC).

The MPA said that Pervaiz Elahi would consider JAC’s genuine demands and accept them on merit. He would also consider to reinstate the sacked teachers and doctors.

Answering a question, Muhammad Iqbal said that the governor had his own policy on privatization and termination of teachers and doctors from service which would not be a compulsion on the Pervaiz Elahi government.

Terming the assurance as a goodwill gesture, the JAC leaders cancelled the march and asked the participants in the demonstration to disperse peacefully.

However, some enthusiastic participants in the demonstration pelted stones on police, deployed on all entrances to the Punjab Assembly building.

Earlier, speaking to the participants in the demonstration, JAC chairman Nazim Hasnain strongly condemned the sacking of seven senior teachers and issuance of charge-sheets to 14 Technical Education Vocational Authority (Tevta) teachers.

He said the teachers were punished for taking part in the JAC’s demonstrations against the board of governors in educational institutions and hospital and Model University Ordinance.

Mr Hasnain said the terminations from service could not stop them from holding protest demonstrations. He termed it a cowardly act of the Punjab governor and demanded his resignation.

He said that people belonging to different walks of life strongly reacted to the terminations of the teachers from service and assured them their support. He said the JAC constituted an adversity fund to provide monthly salaries to the sacked teachers and doctors. He said the fund would currently be used for Lahore teachers and later it would be extended to other cities. He urged teachers and doctors to contribute at least Rs500 to the fund.

Dr Yasmin Rashid said her termination would give more vigour to the protest campaign. She said the governor after administering oath for the second did first thing to avenge the JAC leadership. She said they would not let the governor to succeed in implementing the IMF and the World Bank agenda on the masses.

Meanwhile, teachers and students of different colleges continued to boycott the classes after 11am and held protest demonstration.

Police outside the Islamia College Railway Road arrested a couple of students who were going to attend the demonstration. JAC leaders reached there and secured their release.

Giving details of future course of action, a JAC spokesman said that a complete boycott of classes in all provincial colleges and universities would start from Thursday (today) after 10.30 am.

Teachers and students would also observe sit in outside schools, colleges and universities.

Unannounced protest demonstrations outside the Governor’s House, Assembly Hall and other important buildings have been also planned.