LAKKI MARWAT: Hundreds of protesters on Tuesday staged a sit-in outside the cement factory located in Darra Pezu town for acceptance of their demands, including reinstatement of sacked employees and regularisation of contract workers.

They also asked the factory management to pay taxes to the local government under the law and provide the people of Pezu town and adjacent localities with health and education facilities.

A large number of people, including local government representatives, reached Pezu town in vehicles and assembled outside the gate-I of the factory. Led by district nazim Ishfaq Ahmad and naib nazim Arab Khan the protesters raised slogans against the factory management and held it responsible for the problems being faced by the residents.

A big contingent of police was deployed to avoid any untoward incident. Due to the protest demonstration gates of the cement plant remained closed for several hours.

The district nazim told media persons that the protesters, local government representatives and sacked workers had gathered to bring their woes into the notice of the higher functionaries of the government. He also demanded utilisation of CSR (corporate social responsibility) funds on public welfare schemes in the district. He said that pollution from the factory was causing diseases in the area, asking the factory officials to provide healthcare facilities to the local residents.

Mr Ahmad demanded of the management to provide free power facility to the local residents, repair faulty tube wells and set up health and educational institutions in the district.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2017