LAHORE, April 7: The Joint Action Committee of teachers, doctors and students has announced a two-week protest programme which includes demonstrations, hunger strike, boycott of examination duties and long march up to the parliament house in Islamabad.
The campaign will start with a demonstration at the Islamia College, Civil Lines, on April 15. The JAC will, however, continue to observe one-hour academic boycott in schools and colleges daily till April 15.
The JAC has planned protest campaign as the Punjab government failed to find any solution to its demands within the deadline, which ended on Monday.
Its demands included stopping of denationalization of educational institutions, abolition of boards of governors put in educational and health institutions, withdrawal of the Model University Ordinance and reinstatement of the seven sacked teachers and a doctor.
The protest programme was announced at a convention of leaders of schools, colleges and universities’ associations, Pakistan Medical Association and Tevta at the Government College of Education, Lower Mall, on Monday.
The convention chaired by JAC chairman Nazim Hasnain decided that the committee would organize demonstrations in all four provinces from April 15 to 21. It also decided to enhance the time of academic boycott in educational institutions from one hour to two hours.
In the Punjab, the first protest will be held in Lahore on April 15 followed by Gujranwala, Multan and Sargodha on April 16, 17 and 19. Protests will be held simultaneously in Rawalpindi and Faisalabad on April 21.
On April 22, the JAC will observe hunger strike in all the four provincial capitals.
The JAC also decided that teachers would boycott the intermediate examination duties from April 26.
Finally, the JAC will organize a country-wide long march, which would end in front of the National Assembly building on April 26. The protesters would also organize a sit in in front of the Parliament House.
Speaking on the occasion, JAC leaders resolved that they would continue their struggle to safeguard educational and health facilities from American occupation. They said the government should adopt people-friendly policies and avoid implementing the US agenda. They also demanded that the government should implement the Mujaddid Mirza Commission report.