LAHORE, Oct 4: Thousands of teachers, doctors and students held a rally on Friday to protest against the Model University Ordinance and constitution of Boards of Governors in schools, colleges and hospitals.

The protesters gathered at the MAO College hall under the banner of teachers and doctors’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) at around 10am.

JAC chairman Nazim Hasnain, Federation of Universities Academic Staff Associations vice-president Prof Dr Haris Rashid and Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) president Prof Dr Yasmin Rashid made speeches on the occasion.

They said the nation had united to stop the government from privatizing the health and educational institutions in the country. The Model University Ordinance and constitution of BOGs in schools, colleges and hospitals were different forms of privatization, they maintained.

Although, the JAC had earlier announced that the rally would be held from the MAO College to the Governor’s House, but decided to march only up to the Old Campus of Punjab University after negotiations with the government.

The protesters made their way to the university via the Punjab Civil Secretariat. There was a strong police presence at the march. The demonstrators were holding placards and banners inscribed with demands that the Model University Ordinance should be repealed and the BOGs in schools, medical colleges and teaching hospitals abolished. Other banners read: “We reject privatization of educational and health institutions”, “IMF — an enemy of education and health”.

The protesters also chanted slogans against the government and demanded that the government should scrap its “anti-people” policies. After a walk of about 30 minutes, they gathered on The Mall in front of the Punjab University.

Speaking on the occasion, the JAC chairman announced that teachers, doctors and students would disobey the government which had decided to deny the masses their basic rights to education and health.

If the government did not stop its anti-education and anti-health policies, he said, demonstrations and rallies would be organized in all cities of the country from October 14. He said protests would be organized every Monday and Thursday till the acceptance of their demands.

Dr Yasmin said the government was pursuing a policy that would deprive the masses of whatever minimum education and health care facilities were available in the country.

Prof Haris said the federal government had promulgated the Model University Ordinance to crush the teachers and students community in universities. Even after two weeks of its promulgation, the ordinance had not been made public for fear of criticism.

He said that according to different versions of the ordinance available, teachers would not even have the right to appeal in a court of law against the university authorities’ decisions.

He said the government was afraid of talking logic with teachers and students.

Later, the demonstrators prayed for the success of their campaign before dispersing peacefully.

The traffic had remained blocked for over two hours on and around the road from MAO College to Punjab University.