Rowdy protesters: Nine garment workers granted bail

KARACHI:  

A judicial magistrate granted on Monday bail to nine garment workers held for allegedly rioting on a main road outside their workplace over non-payment of salaries and bonuses.

District East judicial magistrate approved the bail of Talal, Adnan, Imran, Waqas, Shiraz, Yasin and three others against a surety bond of Rs10,000 for each of them.

The labourers were arrested on the charges of torching a vehicle, damaging others and blocking the road outside Artistic Denim Mills in Korangi Industrial Area near Vita Chowrangi on July 4.

According to the workers, they took to streets in protest after the company management failed at providing them their salaries and bonus before Eid. The protest, however, turned violent and police and Rangers had to intervene to disperse them.

According to an official at the Korangi Industrial Area police station, the workers spent their Eid in jail as courts were closed during the five-day long holidays.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2016.