LAHORE, Dec 2: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of teachers, doctors and students and Lahore High Court Bar Association on Monday held a demonstration outside the court against the constitution of boards of governors in educational institutions and hospitals, Model University Ordinance and victimization of doctors and teachers by the government.

Heavy contingents of police were deployed on all the entrances to The Mall. However, they did not interfere. Traffic remained suspended for half-an-hour which created inconvenience for the commuters.

Speaking on the occasion, JAC leaders Nazim Hasnain, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Prof Dr Haris Rashid and Azam Butt said people had turned against the government for its anti-health and education policies.

They said the demonstration outside the LHC had proved that the whole country was backing their genuine demands. They said they would not remain peaceful if the government did not withdraw the BoGs, MUO and reinstated the sacked teachers and doctors by Dec 11.

They said the government was bent upon implementing the IMF and World Bank agenda which would prove detrimental to the country.

They advised the government to also make recruitment in army, police and bureaucracy on contract basis.

LHC Bar Association general-secretary Shahid Mahmood Bhatti criticized the government for torturing teachers, doctors and students across the country and urged it to withdraw its anti-people policies immediately.

Meanwhile, teachers and students also boycotted their classes after 10:30am and brought out protest rallies from the MAO College, Shalamar College, Dyal Singh College, Government College of Education, Lower Mall, Islamia College Civil Lines and Islamia College Railway Road.