Police Hose Down Educationist Protestors In Karachi

On Sunday, 15th September 2019, Karachi police charged on school headmasters with batons, going as far as using tear gas and a water cannon on the protestors as well.

This was all done in an effort to prevent the crowd of 450 headmasters, including 100 women, from moving in onto the Chief Minister House, as reported by officials and witnesses.

The rally kicked off at the Karachi Press Club in the morning with the headmasters expressing their right to regularisation of their services.

The superintendents argued that there were hundreds of IBA certified teachers recruited three years ago, who had been offering their services duly for two years, until the government extended their contract for a third year without confirming their employment. According to DAWN, representatives of the Central Working Committee of IBA Sukkur-passed Headmasters — Zakir Husain Gopang, Haji Khan Rajpar, and Farooq Azam Lakho — had submitted an application before deputy commissioner (South) Syed Salahuddin affirming their plans of a ‘peaceful’ demonstration outside KPC to press for their demands. They were allowed to do so as such protests are permissible, and KPC happens to be the main venue of such activities.

After staying there for several hours,the superintendents announced they would march to the Chief Minister House for further protest.

Dawn’s source, a police official, recounts warnings being issued to the headmasters to not move forward, as according to Section 144 of the criminal procedure code had been imposed in the ‘red zone’, along with it violating their prior agreement of restricting their protest to the KPC area.
According to the police, their warnings were ignored and the protestors continued to move towards the CM house, thereby allowing the enforcers to use a water cannon, tear gas, and baton charge as per the law.

This was confirmed by South SSP Sheeraz Naseer

The senior officer also added that the police held back some headmasters
who supposedly showered the police force with plastic water bottles and stones. He claimed that only ‘one’ headmaster was injured, and the other teachers resisted the police who attempted to take him to the hospital. A police source told Dawn that 19 headmasters had been detained, while Dr. Seemin Jamali, executive director of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, told DAWN that they took in five teachers for treatment at its emergency department- apart from one head injury, nobody acquired any serious injuries.

Post police engagement, the protesting teachers held a sit-in on Maulana Deen Mohammed Wafai Road at the main gate of the YMCA ground, resulting in a traffic diversion to adjoining roads. Later at night, the protestors finally dispersed after successful talks with district South administration and police, via South SSP Sheeraz Naseer.

The protestors and officials both agreed to arrange a meeting of teachers with the secretary of education on Monday to discuss the acceptance of their demands. All held teachers were released after the talks, said the senior officer. The road block was also vacated and opened to the traffic.

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