230 arrested in Lahore in crackdown on government employees’ sit-in

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Lahore police on Thursday launched a crackdown and arrested more than 230 protesters of the All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) Punjab, many of them teachers, who were holding a sit-in outside the Civil Secretariat against the proposed privatisation of public schools, amendments to pension regulations and end of leave encashment, Dawn reported.

The alliance launched the protest campaign on Tuesday and blocked the Lower Mall for traffic. The protest turned into a sit-in after the government turned a deaf ear to the protesters’ demands.

A total of 34 organisations representing the employees from various Punjab government departments, including health, education and higher education, along with members of the All Pakistan Clerks Association (Apca), were participating in the sit-in. Lahore police and district administration launched a crackdown on the protesters, including teachers, early on Thursday morning and arrested 91 of them.

The protest’s organisers dispersed after the police action.

As per Dawn, it’s worth noting that some women who were also a part of the protest were allegedly subjected to baton charge and were arrested. Pictures and videos circulating on social media showed police launching baton charges at the protestors. The policemen could also be seen torturing the students who reached there to show solidarity with their teachers.

AGEGA and Punjab Teacher Union President Chaudhry Muhammad Sarfraz said it was regrettable that the teachers, including women, were severely tortured and were shifted to lock-ups while fake cases were registered against them.

He demanded the government release the employees and also take back its leave encashment notification and said that the state oppression could not force them to end the protest. He said more than 100 employees from different departments, including the school education and higher education departments, APCA members and nurses were arrested in Lahore.

One of the protesters, Tariq Zaidi, told Dawn police had launched the first operation on Wednesday night and arrested 80 workers while another operation was launched on Thursday morning when 150 more employees were arrested. He said police took away their camps, chairs, tables and other equipment and declared the arrest of only 91 employees.

Earlier, Islampura police registered a case against the protesters on the charge of attacking the policemen. (ANI)