KARACHI: Hundreds of vaccinators from different parts of the province gathered outside the Karachi Press Club on Monday to stage protest against the authorities’ failure to fulfill their demands, affecting a province-wide immunisation drive against measles and rubella scheduled to begin that day.

The protesters, who assembled outside the press club at a camp before marching on the Chief Minister House, were demanding restoration of 336 colleagues, raise in pay scale equal to that of their counterparts’ in Punjab, payments of dues and confirmation of services.

The protesters’ leaders said that their protest would continue for an indefinite period and they would lodge peaceful protest, which was their legal and constitutional right. “We expect the democratic government to respond positively,” said Khuda Bux Qureshi, chief of the vaccinators’ body.

He claimed the Sindh government had failed to launch the immunisation drive in at least seven districts due to strike by his colleagues.

The situation became somewhat tense when dozens of protesters started the march to the CM House and were stopped by police near Governor House but instead of fighting back or returning they staged sit-in where they were halted on the road.

The protest forced police authorities to block the key Aiwan-i-Saddar Road during peak of traffic rush an hour before sunset, leading to traffic gridlock on main I. I. Chundrigar Road, Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road and Club Road.

As the vehicles were diverted from Aiwan-i-Saddar Road to alternative routes, it caused traffic jams on M.R. Kyani Road, Sarwar Shaheed Road, Abdullah Haroon Road, South Napier Road, Old Outram Road, Hasrat Mohani Road, Wood Street, Shahra-i-Kamal Ataturk, Burnes Road, Belassis Street, Shahra-i-Liaquat and Nicol Road.

The traffic started moving after more than three hours when the authorities held talks with protesters and finally convinced them to move back to their protest camp at the KPC over assurance of a positive response within next 24 hours.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said earlier that he had directed the health secretary to resolve the issue but raised questions over the timing of the protest.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2021