TOBA TEK SINGH: Thousands of textile and powerloom workers held a protest rally at Adda Dhandra of Sadhar industrial area on Jhang Road (Faisalabad) seeking better wages.

They started the rally from Sadhar Chowk to the public meeting venue raising slogans demanding an immediate end to strike being observed by the factory owners.

Addressing a big gathering, Labour Qaumi movement chairman Baba Latif Insari said that powerlooms owners had locked their factories and refused to accept workers demand of 8.40pc wages increase.

He rejected allegations of owners and claimed that no incident ever happened in any factory and workers’ strike was peaceful.

He said owners were also wrongly propagating that some NGOs were funding the workers to create a chaos. Insari also announced 10 days plan to organise daily public meetings in difference areas.

Labour leader Sheikh Mumtaz asked the owners to immediately open factories, otherwise, workers will also go on strike for an indefinite period.

Central president Haqooq Khalq Party (HKP) extended full support to the demands of powerloom workers. He said Punjab had seen an unprecedented price hike and inequality and the workers’ demand for increase was very minimal as compared to the rising prices of commodities.

EXHIBITION: An exhibition titled Rang-e-Pakistan was inaugurated at the Institute of Art and Design, at Government College University Faisalabad, as a joint initiative of GCU Lahore and GCUF.

The exhibition features an impressive collection of paintings, drawings, and mixed media artworks created by faculty members and students.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2025