Despite heavy deployment of police forces today, once again the workers' action committee launched a protest demonstration which passed along different roads of Quetta as they did before. Baluchistan Civil Secretariat Staff Association General Secretary Nazar Baloch and other leaders of the workers' action committee headed this demonstration. On Prince Road a police van tried to knock down the demonstrators, and at least five workers were injured seriously. About 150 workers have been arrested.
The Government Teacher Association and another teachers' association (which is not the part of the workers' action committee) arranged a huge demonstration meeting in Municipal Corporation Quetta for their demands, at which more then five thousand teachers participated from different parts of the province, despite hundreds of teachers being stopped by law enforcement departments near Luck Pass (15km from Quetta) and in other places of the province.
Although their demands are related to their teaching staff, they also support the payment of 40% allowance for teachers of Quetta District. We are receiving some reports that the Government of Baluchistan has started negotiations with the action committee.
Abid Hussain,
Information Secretary,
PTUDC Quetta