HYDERABAD: A large number of lady health workers (LHWs) on Friday blocked the Hyderabad bypass for acceptance of their demands, causing suspension of vehicular traffic.

All Pakistan Lady Health Workers Welfare Associa­tion chairperson Bushra Arain, Uzma Jokhio and others led the protest, condemning shifting of the lady health workers program­me’s office and protesting against the programme director.

The blockage led to an exchange of hot words between commuters and the protesters. It also caused inconvenience to students of three universities as their point buses dropped them at a considerable distance from the fixed points. Normal traffic remained suspended for two hours and 30 minutes.

Speaking on the occasion, leaders of the association said the office of their programme had been shifted from Sir Cowasjee Institute of Psychiatry although the office of a federal agency of anti-narcotics body was not shifted. They said that discriminatory treatment was being meted out to them.

They said that under the law an officer of BS-20 could hold the post of programme director, but an officer of BS-19 had been posted there in addition to his charge of the hepatitis control programme. They said the officer forced LHWs to attend office even on holidays. Following negotiations between the protesters and Qasimabad Assis­tant Commissioner Fida Hussain Shoro, they ended their protest after getting a written assurance from the official.

Bushra Arain made it clear that if the officer was not transferred and the order of shifting of the office was not withdrawn, they would stage a sit-in outside the Chief Minister House in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2019