LAHORE, Nov 13: A large number of students, teachers and doctors held a protest demonstration outside the Punjab University’s Old Campus against the constitution of board of governors in the educational institutions and hospitals and the Model University Ordinance.
They were blaming the government for victimizing teachers and doctors and harassing students and their parents through police.
The protest procession was taken out after a meeting held on the Old Campus on the call of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) which was ended at the Kutchery Chowk where they staged a sit-in for some time.
Traffic remained suspended for quite sometime and motorists faced inconvenience.
Holding banners bearing inscriptions against government’s anti-health and educational policies, the protesters were asking the government to leave the issue to new civil government. They were also asking the Punjab governor to resign for the larger interest of the people.
Heavy contingent of riot police were deployed at all the entrances to the Old Campus. In response to the JAC’s call that they would march on the Governor’ House, a police contingent was also deployed at the Faisal Square and outside the Masjid-i-Shuhada.
However, JAC leaders told Dawn if they found no other way to get their demands accepted, they would certainly go for agitation and march on the Governor’s House.
Meanwhile, SSP (Operation) Aftab Cheema informed reporters that the police had made video films of JAC’s demonstrations. With the help of the films, the police identified students who brought batons to the processions.
Earlier, speaking to a sizable gathering of the students, teachers and doctors on the Old Campus, Dr.Yasmin Rashid said the government was victimizing the teachers, doctors and students for participating in protest demonstrations. She said government’s cheap tactics to bar them from taking part in protest rallies would be of no use. She said the teachers, doctors and students had taken oath under the banner of the JAC to sacrifice their lives for their demands.
Dr.Yasmin said that the teachers, doctors and students were respected in civilized societies but here the government was doing otherwise. The government had taken for granted their four-month struggle against the boards of governors in educational institutions and teaching hospitals, and the Model University Ordinance, she added.
JAC chairman Nazim Hasnain said they could not guarantee peaceful demonstrations any more. Respecting the sanctity of Ramazan, the government should withdraw its anti-people polices.
He said that people from different walks of life wanted to oust the present government. He said the whole nation had turned against the government but it was paying a deaf ear to their demands and stuck to its black laws.
Mr.Hasnain alleged that the government was bent upon implementing the IMF and the World Bank agenda. He said that such polices would prove detrimental.
He slammed the government for using police force to prevent students from taking part in the protest campaign.
MPA-elect Ahad Malik said the present government should leave the sensitive issue to new government.
He said the military government had no right to take decisions against the will of the people. He urged the military rulers to quit politics and help form new government.
Meanwhile, teachers and students across the province boycotted classes on Wednesday after 10am and brought out protest rallies.
Giving details of their future protest plan, a JAC spokesman said that the teachers and students of all colleges in the country would boycott their classes after 10am on Nov 20 and bring out protest rallies.
The boycott of the classes across the province, however, would continue for half-an-hour from 11am every day, he added.