HRCP condemns use of water cannons against teachers

A large police contingent raided the protest camp set up by teachers, arrested over 200 protestors

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Friday condemned the use of force by police, including water cannons, to disperse a peaceful protest by teachers at D-Chowk in the federal capital a few days ago.

“A state that fails to respect teachers’ right to a decent livelihood will end up failing its people,” the commission said in a statement on Friday.

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HRCP’s fact-finding team was told that a large police contingent had raided the protest camp set up by the teachers and arrested over 200 protestors, including women and, allegedly, their accompanying children.

The protestors, most of whom teach at remote schools under the Basic Education Community System (BECS), were protesting their low salaries of Rs8,000 a month which is insufficient to subsist on.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2019.