LAHORE, Nov 8: The Joint Action Committee of teachers, doctors and students has demanded that the government should abolish the boards of governors in educational and health institutions and repeal the Model University Ordinance by Nov 13, otherwise they will besiege the Governor’s House.

The teachers, doctors and students on Friday organized protest meetings and rallies in different colleges and the Punjab University. They also observed sits-in.

They also brought out a protest rally from the Government Commercial College to Wahdat Road and blocked the traffic for sometime.

Speaking to protest participants, JAC leaders said the victimization of teachers and doctors could not subdue their protest campaign.

JAC chairman Nazim Hasnain said the government was victimizing teachers and doctors because it had nothing to argue on genuine demands raised by teachers, doctors and students. He said the police also tried to torture protesters in their previous protest near Nasser Bagh.

He also warned that if the plainclothesmen tried to enter the protest rally at Punjab University Old Campus on Nov 13, they would not guarantee for a peaceful demonstration and move towards the Governor’s House.

Prof Yasmin Rashid said the present government seemed committed to depriving people of basic education and health facilities which was its prime duty. She said the protest campaign would continue to gear up with the passage of time and compel the government to take positive decisions. She said the people would not let industrialists and capitalists to loot the public welfare institutions.

IJT Lahore Nazim Asad Jamal said industrialists and capitalists could not run educational and health institutions, therefore, the students would not let them to be part of boards of governors.

He also demanded that the government should restore the student unions so that the educational system could be run with mutual understanding and consultation.

The JAC leaders also held meetings at the Punjab University and the Education Complex on Hall Road. They condemned the government for harassing principals and headmasters to get their statements in favour of BoGs.