SUKKUR, March 16: A large number of people held a demonstration outside the Fauji Fertilizer Company in Mirpur Mathelo on Wednesday in protest against recruitment of people from other areas at the cost of local people. Hundreds of unemployed youths protested for about four hours and raised slogans against the administration of the fertilizer factory. They were led by the chairman of the All-Trade Unions Labour Alliance, Jam Fatah Samejo, rights activist Dadan Mahar and peasant leader Mandhal Shar.

They warned that the factory was continuously depriving local talent in recruitment which had become intolerable now. They said the protest would continue till the management provided jobs to unemployed youth of the area.

A heavy contingent of police reached the spot and negotiated with the leaders. The resident manager of the FFC, Brig Mohammad Ali, met with the leaders and assured them that the local people would be given priority in employment after which the sit-in was ended.

TRADERS: A large number of traders under the banner of Sindh Small Traders and Cottage industry took out processions in Sukkur, Jacobabad and Shikarpur on Wednesday in protest against unemployment and ever-increasing prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene oil.

In Jacobabad, more than 250 traders led by Ahmed Ali Brohi and Ghulam Nabi Qureshi took out a procession which marching through the main roads of the city reached the press club.

The leaders said the government had failed to overcome the problem of unemployment and rising prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene oil. They demanded that Gen Musharraf should step down. They warned that if the increase in prices of petroleum products was not withdrawn then the traders would resort to shutter-down strike. They marched to the DCO chowk where they staged a sit-in for about two hours.