KARACHI: Police and Rangers on Wednesday fired water cannons, tear-gas shells and baton-charged government schoolteachers, including women, to prevent them from moving towards the Chief Minister House to stage a demonstration for fulfilment of their demands.

The protesting Primary School Teachers (PSTs) have been protesting for regularisation of their services, provision of basic facilities at schools, etc.

South SSP Syed Asad Raza said that 19 protesting teachers were taken into custody. He said around 200-300 schoolteachers gathered in front of the Karachi Press Club (KPC) for fulfilment of their demands.

The district administration and police engaged them in talks and tried to persuade them to restrict their protest at the KPC as there was a complete ban on holding protests / rallies in the Red Zone, the SSP said.

He said that some of them did not give any heed to their persuasion and attempted to move towards the CM House, upon which the law enforcers used water cannons and resorted to ‘light’ baton charge near Fawara Chowk.

Footage went viral on social media showed protesters, including women, were baton-charged by Rangers personnel and police who bundled them into their vans.

Later, the protestors gathered at the KPC and gave a call for protest on Thursday (today) at CM House if their demands were not fulfilled and their colleagues were not released.

Haji Shafi and Sikander Ali Jatoi asked primary schoolteachers across the Sindh province to reach the KPC on Thursday (today).

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2023