LHW injured in clash with police

Govt agrees to nine demands but protesters stay put

ISLAMABAD:

A lady health worker (LHW) was injured as female health workers clashed with police on the sixth day of their sit-in at D-Chowk on Monday.

On Monday, the protesting lady health workers (LHW) made several attempts to break through the obstacles placed and march towards the Parliament House. However, this led to intermittent clashes throughout the day with the police who pushed the protesters back every time.

The federal government had deployed women police personnel to stop the LHWs from marching towards the Parliament House along with placing containers and barbed wires around D-Chowk where the LHW sit-in is underway. The government had also shut the Metro Bus Service (MBS) to stop LHW’s to join their colleagues at D-Chowk from different parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

An LHW was thrashed by a police officer who claimed that her clothes were torn by the protesters.

However, LHW President Rukhsana Anwar later told the media that the police officer who assaulted the LHW should be held accountable.

She further vowed to reach the Parliament House at all costs. Anwar said that they had lost all hopes and trust in the government given their indifferent attitude towards the protesters.

Instead of finding a solution to their problems, the government was threatening them, Anwar claimed.

Govt’s panel agrees to nine demands of LHWs

Later, the government formed a committee comprising Federal Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Khan. They met with a delegation of LHWs and agreed to nine of 10 demands put forward.

However, the committee maintained that the seven suspended LHWs will have to secure clearance from the court before they can be restored.

The government officials said that the preparation of a service structure will take around three months.

The LHWs demanded a written agreement and also sought the issuance of notification regarding service structure. She announced to step back from the demand for restoration of the suspended LHWs.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2020.