LAHORE: Lahore police on Thursday launched a crackdown and arrested more than 230 protesters of the All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) Punjab, many of them teachers, who were holding a sit-in outside the Civil Secretariat against the proposed privatisation of public schools, amendments to pension regulations and end of leave encashment.

The alliance had launched the protest campaign on Tuesday and blocked the Lower Mall for traffic. The protest turned into a sit-in after the government turned a deaf ear to the protesters’ demands.

A total of 34 organisations representing the employees from various Punjab government departments, including health, education and higher education, along with members of the All Pakistan Clerks Association (Apca), were participating in the sit-in. Lahore police and district administration launched a crackdown on the protesters, including teachers, early on Thursday morning and arrested 91 of them.

The organisers of the protest dispersed after the police action.

It’s worth noting that some women who were also a part of the protest were allegedly subjected to baton charge and were arrested. Pictures and videos circulating on social media showed police launching baton charge on the protestors. The policemen could also be seen torturing the students who reached there to show solidarity with their teachers.

AGEGA and Punjab Teacher Union President Chaudhry Muhammad Sarfraz said it was regrettable that the teachers, including women, were severely tortured and were shifted to lock-ups while fake cases were registered against them.

He demanded the government release the employees and also take back its leave encashment notification and said that the state oppression could not force them to end the protest. He said more than 100 of employees from different departments, including the school education and higher education departments, Apca members and nurses were arrested in Lahore.

One of the protesters, Tariq Zaidi, told Dawn police had launched the first operation on Wednesday night and arrested 80 workers while another operation was launched on Thursday morning when 150 more employees were arrested. He said police took away their camps, chairs, tables and other equipment and declared the arrest of only 91 employees.

Earlier, Islampura police registered a case against the protesters on charge of attacking the policemen.

TOBA TEK SINGH: Police arrested a number of male and female teachers and students of schools after their protest turned violent in the Samanabad area of Faisalabad.

The protesters blocked the traffic on Samundri Road. Police baton-charged the students and teachers, inflicting injuries to many of them. In retaliation, the protesters pelted police with stones. A City police press release claimed that when SP Iqbal Town Usman Munir Saifi arrived to hold talks with the protesters, they attacked him, injuring the SP and two policemen.

GUJRAT: Hafizabad police booked at least 100 students of two schools of Pindi Bhattian on charge of blocking the link road connecting the town with M-2.

Hafizabad DPO Faisal Gulzar told Dawn by telephone the NH&MP had lodged a complaint with the police that the staff of the govt high schools for boys No 1 and No 2 had instigated the students to block the road. The case was registered on the report of Ramzan an official of the NH&MP.

SAHIWAL: Demonstrations were held at Faisalabad, Layyah, Sahiwal, Okara, DG Khan, Vehari, and Sheikhupura where the AGEGA members protested the arrest of their leadership and comrades in Lahore.

The AGEGA leadership has given a full strike call to all public schools and colleges of Punjab. Faizan Rana, the senior vice president of the PPLA, told Dawn that all Lahore colleges and schools would remain closed.

OKARA: The teachers observed a strike and held a protest in front of the press club. . The Apca local chapter also joined the protest.

MUZAFFARGARH: The teachers and other government employees held a protest against the new government rules of pension, gratuity and leave encashment at Jatoi. In Muzaffargarh, female teachers held a demonstration in front of the press club.

BAHAWALPUR: The teachers of public schools held a strike for the acceptance of their demands.

They took to the streets in protest against the government action against their colleagues in Lahore and announced to continue their protest for acceptance of their demands.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2023