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ISLAMABAD: The federal police resorted to indiscriminate tear-gassing and baton charge as protesting contractually employed secondary school teachers from Punjab marched towards the Bani Gala residence of Prime Minister in Islamabad today (Saturday).
As the demonstrators sought to go further inside the Bani Gala area, they were arrested by police just around the corner. The teachers are marching under a one-point charter of demand for the regularisation of their contracts.
According to details, the teachers were detained for ‘interfering’ in the discharge of duties by government officials and for violating COVID-19 safety protocols.
A heavy contingent of police was then placed in the area, who also drove back the angry protesters with heavy tear gas shelling. All roads leading to the prime minister’s Bani Gala residence have been blocked.
However, the protesting Secondary School Educators (SSE) refused to disperse despite the use of force and staged a sit-in at Bani Gala Morr, with many of them even managing to enter the locality. They said their protest will continue until this demand is met.
As the Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat arrived to hold talks with the group, protesters said they refuse to hold talks with any officer from the district administration.
“Protesters have been told that this is not a federal issue but a Punjab issue,” the Islamabad DC said, adding, “We hold teachers in high regard and want talks with them.”