Protesters baton-charged, tear-gassed again

KARACHI - The law enforcers again used baton-charge and tear gas shells on the protestors of All Sindh Education Department Lower Staff Association (ASEDLSA) as they again tried to reach the Chief Ministers House to record their protest here on Friday. According to details, the ASELS protest has moved into the second consecutive day as the 500 workers continued to stage sit-in protest in front of Karachi Press Club, however after Friday prayer, the workers started their march towards the CMs House and when they reached near Arts Council roundabout, heavy contingent of law enforcement agencies equipped with tear gas guns, sticks and barricades intercepted the protestors and after the warning, they baton charged and used tear gases against the protestors, resultantly two workers got injured. Later, the protestors returned back to the Karachi Press Club and again started sit-in protest there. While talking to The Nation, Darya Khan Jamali expressed that the govt must immediate address their demands including permanent status and ending acute shortage of teachers in Sindh, besides giving facility of time-scale and restatement of son quota. He claimed that their march was peaceful, they just wanted to inform the CM about the issue, however the law enforcement agencies used tears gas on the employees of education department which was highly unethical. He also claimed that the law enforcement agencies detained at least 11 protestors from Arts Council roundabout. He informed that the after the completion of three years contact the administration was extended for six months. He demanded to the government to immediately grant them the permanent status of employees of the education department. When the protestors returned backed to the KPC, the leaders of the All Pakistan Muslim League including Sindh Organizer Pervaiz Ali Shah Jilani reached to the participants of the protest and received their complains. They assured to the protestors that they will highlight their issues in all platform of the government while provincial government also should resolve the existent issues of the education department. It is pertinent to mention here that, on the first day of the their protest, the law enforcement agencies had already used strict baton charge and water cannons on the protests on Thursday and later the representatives of the Sindh government including Waqar Mehdi and Sadiq Abu Bhai called the protestors for negotiations. PPI adds: Central President of All Sindh Education Department Lower Staff Association Darya Khan Jamali said that the Sindh Government had appointed some 7187 non-teaching staff member in the year 2007 on three-year contract in different government-run schools and colleges all over Sindh. He said that Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy Department had assured them for regularization of their jobs, but the government so far has not regularized these employees. He said the government has also stopped salaries of contract basis employees working in Karachi, Hyderabad and other parts of the Sindh. Darya Khan said that the association had tried many times to hold meeting with Sindh Minister for Education and Secretary Education for this issue but they refused to meet them. He said that the non-teaching staff would continue protest till a notification is issued by the government for regularization of their jobs.