Demanding action: Hundreds of clerks held in Quetta over protests

The protesting clerks intended to lay a siege around the Chief Minister Secretariat.

QUETTA:

Police apprehended hundreds of protesting clerks who intended to lay a siege around the Chief Minister Secretariat here on Thursday.

The All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) took out a procession from the Quetta Press Club and marched towards the Chief Minister Secretariat. They were intercepted en route by the police and ATF near Secretariat Chowk. The marchers subsequently staged a sit-in protest, causing a massive traffic choke-up on Zarghoon Road, a major traffic artery in the city.

The protesting clerks said that despite the government’s approval of their charter of demands a few months ago, it had yet to be implemented. Their demands included an amended pay-scale, housing requisitions and the implementation of a school admission quota for the children of government employees.

“We had a meeting with the chief secretary, Law Secretary and commissioner Quetta, during which they assured us that [our] demands will be fulfilled. They have been assuring us for the past couple of months but have failed to take any practical step in this regard,” said President of APCA Balochistan Dad Mohammad Baloch, who was leading the protest.

He added that since negotiations with the government officials had proved unfruitful, the clerks decided to besiege the Chief Minister Secretariat in protest.

Police reinforcements along with prisoner vans were called to Secretariat Chowk to break up the protests. The protesters, upon refusal to call off their protest, were apprehended. An hour later, however, they were released from custody.

“There were around 300 clerks and we do not have much space at the police stations to detain them. Therefore, the police have released all the protesting clerks,” a senior police official said.

The APCA, meanwhile, claimed that dozens of clerks were still in police custody. The organisation resolved to continue protests until its demands are met.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2012.