LAHORE: Police on Thursday arrested over 100 more teachers, lady health workers (LHWs) and other government employees while they also baton-charged them during their protest here for restoration of leave encashment, reversal of changes to pension regulations and cancellation of privatisation plans for public schools.

The All Government Employees Grand Alliance (Agega) was holding a rally from the PMG Chowk to Aiwan-i-Adl on Thursday when a heavy police contingent reached there.

A coalition of 34 organisations representing various government departments, including health, education and higher education, continued to protest against the Punjab government and the district administration over the arrest of more than 200 teachers who were already in jail.

The alliance’s demands include restoration of leave encashment, reversal of amendments to pension regulations and cancellation of privatisation plans for public schools. The teachers have already been observing strikes, boycotting classes in all the schools and colleges of the province for the last one week.

Arrest 100 more govt employees protesting for their rights; 200 booked in Bahawalpur

On Thursday, police launched another crackdown on the protesters and started bundling them into their vans to shift them to different police stations of the city. They subjected over 100 male and female teachers and LHWs to severe baton charge and brutal violence.

The Agega office-bearers held the caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Lahore Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider and the chief executive officer responsible for torturing and arresting hundreds of teachers during their protest.

Hundreds of employees under Agega central leadership including Chaudhry Sarfraz, Rana Liaqat, Prof Nadeem Ashrafi, Junaid Khan and Prof Muhammad Mustafa participated in the demonstration to demand the release of arrested teachers and staff and demanded their other rights.

They alleged that PTU leader Kashif Shahzad Chaudhry was called by the authorities for holding negotiations but he was taken into custody.

They said violence, jail and showcase notices would not result in surrendering their rights and the government would have to take back its leave encashment notification, amendments to pension rules and the decision to privatise schools.

BAHAWALPUR: The Cantonment police booked about 200 teachers and other government employees under 16-MPO for holding a protest at Farid Gate on Tuesday.

The complaint, lodged by police inspector Raeesur Rehman, alleged that about 200 demonstrators held a demonstration, made provocative speeches against the government and blocked the road.

The protesters included Abdul Sattar, the president of teachers association, Bahawalpur, Malik Riaz Ahmed, the president of All Pakistan Clerks Association Bahawalpur, Prof Dr Muhammad Afzal Abid of the Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association, Attaullah and Muhammad Afzal of the building department, Chaudhry Shakil Ahmed and Akbar Nasir.

The FIR alleged that despite asking the demonstrators to open the road, they kept blocking it until a heavy police contingent was called and the demonstrators were forced to open the road for traffic.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2023