HYDERABAD, Jan 15: A large number of veterinary doctors on Saturday took out a procession from Shahbaz building to the press club to press for the acceptance of their demands.

Carrying placards and banners, they raised slogans in support of their demands. Sindh zone of the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Association organised the protest.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh chapter president Dr Bakhshal Thallo severely criticised the PPP government for ignoring the genuine demands of veterinary doctors.

He said that excesses were being committed against the veterinary doctors of Sindh for 20 years, but the government had ignored their problems.

He demanded that over 2,000 veterinary doctors should be given jobs.

Vice-president of the association Dr Farman Ali Laghari said that the principle of merit was murdered due to appointments under the own pay-scale system and undue promotions.

He said that a veterinary doctor who was appointed in grade-17 retired in the same grade after 25 years of service because no service structure had been introduced in the province.

Secretary-general of the association Dr Mubarak Jatoi said that the veterinary doctors of Sindh were being meted out step-motherly treatment because the remaining three provinces had already introduced service structures and given jobs to vets.

He said that many veterinary hospitals of Sindh had been occupied by influential persons.

Dr Syed Iftikhar Shah read out the main demands of veterinary doctors, including appointment of more than 2,000 doctors, introduction of four-tier promotion system on the pattern of others provinces, grant of unemployment allowance of Rs10,000 to unemployed doctors and abolition of appointment on own-pay-scale system.

He demanded that the faculty of animal husbandry and veterinary science in the Sindh Agriculture University should be upgraded to university level.