LAHORE, Oct 17: The Joint Action Committee leaders on Thursday took oath that they “will continue their protest campaign in the interest of public welfare and press the government to withdraw their anti-education and anti-health policies.”

The JAC leaders Nazim Hasnain, Prof Yasmin Rashid, Majid Wazir, Hafiz Abdul Khaliq Nadeem and Raja Mehboob Husain led a procession from the FC College auditorium up to Ferozepur Road. They also burnt the copies of the show-cause notices issued to them.

Addressing thousands of protesters, including doctors, teachers and students, who were also wearing black arm bands, the JAC leaders said that they would die for the welfare of the masses but would never let the rulers deny cheap education and basic health facilities to the poor.

Besieged by a heavy contingent of police, the protesters marched from the FC College campus to Ferozepur Road. Carrying banners and placards bearing slogans against government policies, the rally participants removed barricades blocking their way to the Ferozepur Road.

The protesters later staged a sit-in on the Ferozepur Road for over an hour and chanted slogans against the government.

The JAC leaders later announced that the teachers, doctors and students would observe a “thanksgiving day” across the country on Oct 21, followed by a mass protest demonstration at the Punjab University New Campus on Oct 24.

The committee also announced ‘unscheduled’ protest demonstrations from Oct 18 to 23.