HYDERABAD, Jan 10: Provincial chapter of the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Association staged demonstrations in many district headquarters of the interior of Sindh to press for the acceptance of its demands.In Hyderabad, veterinary doctors gathered outside the press club, carrying placards inscribed with different demands.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh chapter president Dr Bakhshal Khan Thalho said that more than 2,000 veterinary doctors in the province were jobless and their families were starving.

He said, during the last 16 years, the Sindh Public Service Commission had announced only 35 seats for the appointment of veterinary doctors. Contrary to this, he said, not a single veterinary doctor was unemployed in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He accused the Sindh government and bureaucracy of destroying the livestock department.Divisional president of the association Dr Liaquat Abro said that many veterinary hospitals had been occupied by influential persons and added that only recently, the district veterinary hospital of Nawabshah had been demolished.

He said, in the absence of service structure, promotions were not awarded in transparent manner and added that many doctors retired in the same grade in which they had served for 25 years. He termed the appointment on OPS (own pay scale) a murder of merit.

Secretary of the association Dr Mubarak Jatoi announced that protest demonstrations would continue till the acceptance of their demands.

KHAIRPUR: Veterinary doctors, officers and workers of Khairpur took out a procession from District Livestock Office on Monday and reached the press club.

Dr Mohammad Nawaz Markhand and general secretary PVMA district Khairpur Dr G.A Hosh Mohammad Jogi said that the service structure of the veterinary department was not revised, though it had been approved during the tenure of Pakistan's first elected Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

They said that more than 2,000 unemployed veterinary graduate doctors were facing hardships.

They also said that they would continue their scheduled protests, including pen-down and token hunger strikes.

A number of private veterinary doctors also participated in the rally. Participants were carrying placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands.

NAWABSHAH: Members of the Veterinary Medical Association of Nawabshah staged a demonstration outside the press club, chanting slogans in favour of their demands.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Abdul Latif Keerio and Dr Nazeer Brohi said that veterinary doctors were performing duties at the taluka level in Sindh whereas the same doctors were performing union council-wise duties in Punjab.