Raza Naqvi Attock
The Punjab government employees especially clerks and teachers on Tuesday observed a pen-down strike and held protest demonstration in Attock against the recent changes to the leave and pension rules. The call for the strike and protest rally was given by All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) to press for their demands, against the implementation of new leave encashment and pension rules.
A large number of male as well as female teachers staged a sit-in in the lawn of the district education office, after which a protest rally was taken out, which started from the education office and concluded at Kachehri Chowk, affecting traffic flow and causing great inconvenience to the commuters. The police personnel who were deployed at the rally kept standing at a distance and remained mere spectators. On this occasion, carrying placards and banners, the protesting employees chanted slogans in favor of their demands.
It was observed that due to locking their respective offices and pen down strike as protest rally taken out by the government employees – ranging from teachers to clerks to pensioners- no official work was carried by employees resultantly people visiting these offices face great deal of inconvenience. The academic activities in all government schools came to a standstill as students sat idle outside their respective schools throughout the day and were relieved early. The anti-dengue and anti-polio activities were also affected while the administrative system was also paralyzed due to a complete strike in the offices of the education, health, municipal committee, local government and revenue department.
Leaders of the protesters demanded the caretaker government not make policy decisions, stressing that their protest was completely peaceful.
