Protesting govt employees in Balochistan end sit-in on court’s order

Published April 10, 2021
This file photo shows members of the All Balochistan Employees and Workers Grand Alliance blocking RCD Highway as they hold a demonstration for acceptance of their demands.—PPI/File
This file photo shows members of the All Balochistan Employees and Workers Grand Alliance blocking RCD Highway as they hold a demonstration for acceptance of their demands.—PPI/File

QUETTA: The protesting government employees ended their 12-day sit-in on Friday night on the order of the Balochistan High Court (BHC), which also directed the negotiating team of the provincial government and leaders of the employees’ grand alliance to hold talks for resolution of the issue.

The leaders of the employees’ grand alliance announced ending the sit-in and postponing their protest for one month. They said that if the issue of pay raise was not resolved they would restart their protest.

Soon after the end of the sit-in, negotiations between the government committee comprising provincial ministers and senior officials and the grand alliance leaders started and continued till late night.

A BHC division bench comp­­rising Chief Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Kamran Khan Mullahkhail, while hearing a constitutional petition filed by the Quetta Bar Associa­tion president, expressed concern over the government’s attitude of not paying any attention to the protests of the government employees who were demanding increase in their salaries.

The petitioner said the sit-in of the government employees was causing great difficulties for the people of Quetta.

The court directed the grant alliance leaders to immediately end their sit-in and hold negotiations with the government officials concerned.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Mandokhail observed: “The government constitutes committees when it does not want to resolve any issue.”

Expressing his dismay over the attitude of the protesting employees and the government, he said that they should show flexibility in their attitude during negotiations. He urged the provincial government to resol­­ve the issue of its employees according to the law.

Advocate General Arab Tahir Kasi informed the court that the government had formed two teams to hold negotiations with the protesting employees.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

‘Source of terror’
29 Mar, 2024

‘Source of terror’

ALTHOUGH dealing with the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan is a major political, security and strategic...
Chipping in
29 Mar, 2024

Chipping in

FEDERAL infrastructure development schemes are located in the provinces. Most such projects — for instance,...
Toxic emitters
29 Mar, 2024

Toxic emitters

IT is concerning to note that dozens of industries have been violating environmental laws in and around Islamabad....
Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...