June 25, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 20, 1429

FAISALABAD, June 24: At least seven labourers sustained bullet injuries in a clash between power-loom workers and gunmen of a factory owner who also happens to be an MPA of Pakistan Muslim League-Q.

The ugly incident took place at a factory in Sadhar in Thekariwala police precincts on Tuesday.

Five police officials, including a superintendent and a deputy superintendent of police, and three other labourers also received injuries when angry labourers resorted to stone pelting and police gassed them to disperse them.

The power-loom labourers of Sadhar were protesting against the weaving factory owner, MPA Ajmal Mian, allegedly for continuous deductions from their wages when some of his armed guards opened indiscriminate fire.

Resultantly, seven labourers sustained bullet injuries and were taken to Allied Hospital by the Rescue 1122 staffers.

The firing infuriated the labourers, who retaliated by pelting the gunmen of the factory with stones and bricks. Later, the labourers allegedly torched another weaving unit of the MPA and looted its belongings.

However, labourers’ leaders denied the allegations and said the factory management itself torched some of the material to implicate workers in fake cases.

A heavy police contingent led by City Police Officer DIG Mohammad Aslam Tareen, reaching the spot was also pelted with bricks by the angry mob. Madina Town SP Malik Yousaf, DSP Mumtaz Deo and three others also received injuries.

Sensing the mob’s behaviour, police resorted to aerial firing and teargas shelling. More troops were called from all nearby police stations to control the unruly mob.

Later, the labourers staged a sit-in for around eight hours outside the factory, demanding that criminals must be handed over to them and they would punish them publicly. Labour Qaumi Movement Chairman Mian Qayyum said labourers had been demanding their rights for weeks but no body was ready to pay heed to their grievances.

Some of the labourers said they had been requesting the factory owner not to deduct their wages, as they were not in a position to afford this cut. However, they said, the factory owner did not heed their demand.

They said workers had also staged a peaceful demonstration on Monday when the power-loom workers held talks with Punjab Labour Minister Ashraf Sohna and demanded action against the responsible.

Addressing the protesters, the minister had said the government would not tolerate any aggression against workers. He ensured them that culprits would be brought to the book.

Talking to Dawn, DIG Tareen said police had arrested seven people and seized weapons from them. No case was, however, registered till filing of this report.