LAHORE, July 15: The Punjab University Academic Staff Association has announced a one-day strike on Saturday to protest the government's action of demolishing the pedestrian bridges.

During the PUASA executive committee meeting chaired by its president Dr Iftikhar Husain Baloch, a resolution condemned the government for demolishing the bridges, shelling at teachers' residences by police and their misbehaviour.

The meeting demanded that the government should immediately restore the two iron bridges and re-construct six other demolished bridges, otherwise, the teachers and students would protest.

Dr Baloch said the government did not even bother to consider the problems of the disabled students as well as girls, who crossed over the canal through the bridges many times a day. He rejected the chief minister's offer to construct two separate underpasses for girls and boys.

PUASA secretary Dr Mehr Saeed Akhtar said it was a matter of grave concern that the government did not even bother to take the university authorities into the confidence before taking this decision.

The association has called another meeting on June 19 (Monday) to formulate further strategy to deal with the government on the subject. Meanwhile, student organizations and political leaders have also condemned the government's action.