RAWALPINDI: A large number of visually-impaired people staged a protest on Tuesday on Murree Road against police baton charge on protesters in Lahore.

They demanded strict action against the police officers involved in maltreating the visually-impaired protesters in Lahore.

They also demanded jobquota in government departments.

The protest triggered a gridlock posing hardships for commuters and pedestrians.

According to details, scores of visually-impaired people gathered outside Rescue 15 Office at Liaquat Bagh and demonstrated against Lahore police for torturing special persons who were protesting for their jobs.

They chanted slogans against government and demanded legal action against police officers involved in torture.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Nadim Aslam Ch, former MNA Mohammad Hanif Abbasi and Mayor Sardar Naseem rushed to the protest site and held negotiations with the protesters.

They told the protesters that they were here to hold talks with them on directions of CM Punjab and also assured them that no arrest had been made in Lahore.

They also told the protesters that the government was taking concrete steps to provide them jobs so that they could earn their livelihood in a respectable way.

On the occasion, the protesters told commissioner that they would soon present a charter of demand to him. Later on, the protesters dispersed peacefully and the road was opened for vehicular movement.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2018