KARACHI: Police on Monday resorted to baton charge and used water cannon to disperse schoolteachers and dismissed policemen who were holding separate protests against non-payment of their salaries and for their reinstatement in front of the Karachi Press Club.

Officials said both the teachers and policemen joined hands and tried to move towards the Chief Minister House from the KPC and the police had no option but to use force to prevent them from marching towards the city’s so-called ‘red zone’.

As a result of the police action, a few protesters and a policeman suffered minor injuries.

Over 50 policemen belonging to the Sindh Reserve Police have recently been dismissed as they were allegedly recruited because of political influence in 2012 and 2014.

They staged a protest demonstration outside the press club and demanded the authorities to reinstate them.

At the same time, scores of teachers also gathered at the same venue to lodge their protest over non-payment of salaries, which they said had not been paid for the past five years.

Police take action against protesters to maintain ‘sanctity’ of CM House

This was their second protest as the police had earlier used force to block their similar demonstration in front of the press club.

SSP South Javed Akbar Riaz told Dawn that during their first protest authorities concerned including provincial minister Nasir Shah held talks with the protesting teachers and assured them that the government would accept their legitimate demands.

He said at that time many teachers were “satisfied” with the outcome of the talks, but despite this a group of teachers was still protesting outside the press club for the last three days.

About the dismissed policemen, the SSP said they gathered at the same venue for restoration of their jobs.

The officials said that police officers tried to persuade the protesting teachers and dismissed constables to restrict their protest to the KPC in order to maintain “sanctity” of the CM House. They said that the protesters were also reminded of a ban on holding rallies in the ‘red zone’.

But, they said, at one point the two protesting groups joined hands and tried to move towards CM House.

The SSP said that the protesters started pelting stones on police causing injuries to one policeman. “This prompted the police to resort to ‘light’ baton-charge and use water cannon to disperse them,” he added.

He said that 40 protesters — 20 teachers and as many dismissed policemen — were taken into custody.

He said that cases would be registered against them for violation of the ban on holding rallies in the city’s red zone.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2017