LAKKI MARWAT: A large number of people, including district government representatives and sacked workers of a local cement factory, held a demonstration outside the factory in Darra Pezu town here on Tuesday to press its management for restoring the fired workers.

The protesters led by district nazim Ishfaq Ahmad Khan Meenakhel and naib nazim Haji Arab Khan reached the town in vehicles and assembled outside the factory’s main gate on the Indus Highway. They, however, avoided closing the busy artery.

The protesters raised slogans against the factory management for not reinstating the sacked employees and regularising the daily wagers. A large contingent of police was also deployed to avoid any unpleasant situation.

The protesters damaged the CCTV cameras and forcibly opened the factory gate, stopping transportation of cement to rest of the country.

Provincial revenue minister Ali Amin Gandapur also visited the protest site and expressed solidarity with the protesting workers.

He said Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had already issued a directive for reinstatement of sacked employees, adding the provincial government stood by them.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2017