May 02, 2007	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 14, 1428

KARACHI, May 1: The provincial government on Tuesday put up obstacles on the roads leading to the Karachi Press Club obstructing the May Day rally organised by workers to protest against the government’s anti-labour policies.

The police personnel deployed in the area said they had to take precautionary measures for the security reasons, as Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim was to lead a rally to the Karachi Press Club.

Though other rallies are held outside the KPC everyday, the police had never shown such attitude.

Because of the obstacles, the workers had to park their vehicles far away and march on the road leading to the KPC where a big rally was scheduled.

Initially, the police tried to stop the pedestrians even from crossing over, but the anti-government slogans kept the pressure on.

Supporters of the government, mainly belonging to PML-Q carrying portraits of General Musharraf and Arbab Rahim resorted to provocation when they forced their way out bisecting the workers’ rally at the main gate of the KPC.

While the small group of ruling party supporters riding in pick-ups, trucks, jeeps and other vehicles, heavily guarded by armed police, raised pro-Musharraf and Arbab Rahim slogans, the anti-government workers kept on chanting “Go Musharraf go” and “Lathi goli ki sarkar nahin chalaygi”

There was every chance of a clash as the ruling party men forced their way through the protesting crowd indicating what the ruling coalition had up in its sleeves when the Supreme Judicial Council would resume its hearing on Wednesday.

Commenting on the roadblocks many workers chanted the verse: Raastay bund kiay datay ho deewano kay, dher lagjaingay basti main garaybaano kay.

A heavy contingent of police was assigned the job of protecting the truck on which the chief minister was expected to address the rally.