KARACHI: Scores of nurses were thrashed, baton-charged and briefly detained by the police when they tried to march on the Chief Minister House on Monday, officials said.

The protesting nurses have been staging a sit-in outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) for the past one week and on Monday they decided to march on CM House for their demands pertaining to promotions, etc.

A large number of nurses, both male and female, took out a rally under the platform of the Young Nurses Association Sindh (YNAS) from the KPC.

When they reached near the Arts Council roundabout, the police allegedly resorted to baton-charge and detained some of them, said YNAS president Aijaz Ali Kaleri.

He said their detained colleagues, including female nurses, were taken to the nearby Artillery Maidan police station where they held talks with the Saddar SP. All detained nurses were released.

As they proceeded towards CM House, the law enforcers again tried to prevent them on main Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, but they managed to reach the PIDC traffic intersection suspending vehicular traffic on the main road leading to CM House for around two hours. Due to the nurses’ protest, traffic jams witnessed on I. I. Chundrigar Road and adjoining arteries.

Mr Kaleri said that the additional health secretary, deputy commissioner, and senior police officials held successful talks with them and they had ended their protest when the health secretary issued a notification pertaining to acceptance of their demands related to promotion, etc.

He said the protesters left the PIDC intersection and returned to the KPC at their camp.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2021