Author: lwp

SAHIWAL, June 30: Activists of brick kiln unions have alleged maltreatment by their owners.

A number of kiln workers from village 205/EB, Ahmadyar and Arifwala had formed unions to plead their cases of just wages and other rights. They allege office-bearers of Pakpattan’s District Brick Kiln Association keep trying to suppress their voice by resorting to various tactics.

On June 24, it is learnt, kiln owners got registered a rape case against two activists of Bhatta Mazdoor Union with the Saddar police station in Arifwala. The complainant was a worker at Shalimar Brick Kiln Industry.

The police registered a case against the two workers for a crime which, according to the complainant, was committed on March 18 last. SHO Allah Ditta claimed that the police found the nominated men ‘innocent’ but they had been arrested on the order of a court.

The workers accuse District Brick Kiln Owners Association (Pakpattan) General Secretary Iftikhar Mohar of masterminding fake cases against kiln workers.

A few months earlier, Rana Kiln Industry’s employee Bushra Bibi, wife of Muhammad Arshad, had been ‘penalised’ for actively pursuing cases of colleagues.

She told Dawn that she, along with her husband and some kiln workers, formed organisations — Bhatta Mazdoor Union, Rana Brother Bricks, Masha Allah Sindhu Bricks, Allah Tawakal Bricks and Marhaba Bricks. She said the group voiced concern at low wages and denial of other rights of workers at various fora.

“I motivated kiln workers by visiting their workplaces to put up a demand before their owners to ensure minimum wages as announced by the Punjab government,” she said.

She said Iftikhar Mohar, a lawyer at Arifwala Tehsil Courts and owner of a kiln industry, did not like her activism and orchestrated an attack on her. “Munawar Zaman, owner of Shalimar Kiln Industry at 205/EB, along with 20 men, attacked me and a co-worker on March 17 at a meeting. The assailants tortured her and fled the scene,” she said.

Bushra said she vowed to pursue the matter with the police and withdrew the case only when Munawar Zaman’s father ensured full protection to her in future and requested her to give up the case. She said she was sacked the very next day by her employer.

The workers allege Iftikhar Mohar is also involved in torturing another worker, Khadija Bibi, a resident of Kaboola locality. Khadija lodged an FIR at the Arifwala police station but she was arrested and embroiled in litigation for one year.

Published by Daily Dawn on June 29, 2014

RAWALPINDI, June 27: The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench on June 26 directed the higher education department Punjab to regularise the services of 70 women lecturers working in the garrison city for about 15 years.

Justice Shahid Jamil Khan issued the direction on a contempt petition filed by the lecturers against the education department for not complying with the high court order passed in 2012 for the regularisation of their services.

To a question, the secretary PPSC told the court that the department intended to regularise the services of the teachers under one-person one-seat formula. Under the formula, the PPSC had reserved the right to declare any candidate fail.

Under the formula, the PPSC had directed the lecturers to file affidavits before appearing in the examination, assuring the commission that they would not challenge its decision.

During the course of hearing, Justice Khan asked the secretary PPSC as to why the commission had asked the candidates to submit affidavits.

The court observed that no citizen could be deprived of their right to challenge any decision.

Hassan Maan, the counsel for the lecturers, said the higher education department had been flouting the court’s earlier order by not regularising the services of the lecturers. He said the PPSC had nothing to do with the regularisation of the teachers.

The secretary PPSC said the department had no objection to the regularisation of the lecturers’ services.

The secretary higher education also informed the court that the department had no issue in regularising the services of the teachers after a scrutiny of their educational credentials and checking their service record.

After the assurance, the court dismissed the case and directed the higher education department to regularise the services of the lecturers.

Published by Daily Dawn on June 27, 2014

KARACHI, June 26: Sindh High Court (SHC) on June 25 restrained authorities from terminating the contract of employees of Sindh Information, Science and Technology Department. A division bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan gave this interim order while hearing a petition filed by Akram Basher and 31 other contractual employees seeking regularisation of their services. The court issued notice to Sindh chief secretary and Information, Science and Technology Department secretary to file their comments. It adjourned the hearing of the case till July 14 where several other similar matters would be taken up. Counsel Zameer Hussain Ghumro submitted that petitioners were appointed on contractual basis in 2012 and 2013 in Information, Science and Technology Department on different posts through a legal procedure. He said that the provincial government had enacted Sindh Regularization of Ad-hoc and Contract Employees Bill, 2013. “According to the Act, employees appointed on ad-hoc and contract basis shall regularized after the enforcement of the Act,” said the counsel. Despite the promulgation of the Act, services of the petitioners were not being regularized, he said and added that instead, provincial authorities were bent upon terminating the contract of employee with mala fide. The court was requested to direct provincial authorities to regularize the service of the petitioners and restrain government from terminating their contracts.

Published by Daily Times on June 26, 2014

SAHIWAL, June 24: Around 150 college teachers organised a procession from Mall Mandi Chowk to College Chowk against alleged privatisation of the Government Post-Graduate College.

Teachers claimed the PML-N government would privatise the college by introducing an act in the Punjab Assembly.

The procession call was given by divisional and local chapters of the Punjab Professor and Lecturers Association (PPLA) and led by provincial secretary-general Tanvir Shah.

PML-Q District President Haq Nawaz Sagla also participated in the procession along with his supporters.

Earlier, a seminar was held within the college premises where teachers passed a unanimous resolution demanding existing status of the college be retained and it should not be converted into an autonomous university.

The resolution stated teachers were not against formation of a university but they demanded the Punjab government develop an independent university on separate premises in the division.

“By privatising the college and converting it into an autonomous university, the Punjab government will deprive more than 7,000-8,000 students of education from a subsidised public college,” Shah said.

He told the audience the PPLA would oppose this move and protest in front of the Punjab Assembly.

PPLA Divisional President Abdul Islam Dola said privatisation of the college would deny education to the marginalised section.

“This is simply privatisation of higher education in the disguise of improving quality of education,” PPLA provincial joint secretary Mazhar Mahmood said.

The association has fixed banners across the city inscribed with slogans demanding the government take its decision back and create independent universities instead.

The PPLA plans to hold a meeting with other stakeholders, including the chamber of commerce, district bar association, citizens groups and opposition lawmakers, to help it oppose the move.

Published by Daily Dawn on June 24, 2014

LAHORE, June 24th: The Punjab Teachers’ Union (PTU) on June 23 postponed its protest – scheduled to take place in front of the Punjab Assembly June 24 (today) – in the wake of a protest call given earlier by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).

The PTU said the protest against compulsory retirement of the union’s president and penalisation of several of its members had been delayed till June 26 owing to the security situation in the city.

The union made the announcement after a meeting on June 23.

On Sunday, PTU President Syed Sajjad Akbar Kazmi had communicated his reservations to The Express Tribune regarding arranging the protest demonstration on June 24 amidst the PAT’s call for a rally on The Mall.

A PTU statement on Sunday said that the protest would go on as per schedule; however it retracted the decision on Monday.

This is the second time this month that the PTU has called off its protest citing law and order situation. It had earlier planned a protest demonstration in front of the Education Complex on June 18.

The union had decided to rally on The Mall and organise a protest camp in front of the provincial assembly.

PTU General Secretary Rana Liaquat Ali Khan confirmed that the protest campaign had been put off.

“The security situation is not conducive to holding a demonstration. There is no point in adding fuel to the fire,” Khan said. “We stand by our demands. We will arrange a protest rally later.”

Khan is one of the union members who have been relieved from their duties as teacher last week.

His service at Government Islamia High School, Multan Road, where he taught, was terminated and handed over to the EDO for posting elsewhere. The reason cited for this was his “undesirable activities”.

He is yet to be assigned another school. The union claims that this is part of the government’s drive to victimise PTU office-bearers.

Earlier, Kazmi, the PTU president, had been handed a compulsory retirement notice and 15 members were handed similar orders by education authorities in the province.

“We were aware of the consequences when we set out to demand our rights; this is something we had been told through various channels as well,” Khan said.

Sources in the PTU said that the decision to postpone the protest campaign had been taken to prevent the authorities’ attention being diverted towards a “more pressing political” issue than the teachers’ protest.

“Besides security threats, the PTU officials were concerned about the PAT rally. They thought the protest by Qadri’s supporters might steal the limelight on June 24.”

The protest has now been rescheduled for June 26 in front of the Punjab Assembly. Hundreds of PTU officials from Lahore are expected to stage a sit in, they said.

PTU office-bearers say they will sign a letter carrying their demands in blood and send it to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan had formed a four-member committee in April to address issues pertaining to teachers in the Punjab.

Kazmi was also a member of the committee. The committee met on April 21 and had not held another meeting since.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2014.

TIMERGARA, June 23: The All Class-IV Employees Association, Lower Dir, here on June 21 announced to take part in the protest rally in front of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan’s house at Bani Gala, Islamabad, on June 25.

Speaking at a press conference, the association’s district president Dost Mohammad Khan and general secretary Mohammad Nazir said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was not taking the demands of poor class-IV government employees seriously.

They said that they had been demanding upward revision of their scales and a similar promotion had already been granted to clerks and teachers. They said that the employees from Lower Dir, Upper Dir and Chitral would attend the June 25 rally if the government failed to announce revision of their scales by then.

Published by Daily Dawn on June 22, 2014

MARDAN/NOWSHERA, June 19: The ongoing strike of revenue department employees has created great difficulties for people, particularly students in obtaining domicile certificates for admission to colleges after passing matriculation.

In Mardan, students and their parents told Dawn on June 18 that they faced difficulties in getting domicile certificates as it was mandatory for them (students) to take admission in colleges after passing matriculation. They lamented that they were forced to shuttle between the district courts and offices of patwaries, girdawars and other relevant revenue officials in scorching heat.

Parents demanded of the government to make alternative arrangements so they could get domiciles without any hassle. The revenue staff, including patwaris and girdawars, is on a strike for seeking service structure. In Nowshera, the Anjuman-i-Patwarian wa Qanoongoyan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, vowed to continue strike till the government accepted their demands for promotion of patwaris to grade 14, girdawars to 15, naib tehsildar to 17, and increase in their allowances. This was stated by the association’s provincial president Mohammad Khan Swati while talking to mediapersons after a meeting at Pabbi on June 18.

Revenue officers from Hazara, Malakand, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, and DI Khan divisions and the association’s general secretary, Kashif Khueshgi, were in attendance.

Mr Swati said that they would continue fight for their rights. He said that the government had adopted step motherly attitude towards them. “Now we are out to fight for the rights of employees and no one can stop us from our genuine struggle,” he said.

Published by Daily Dawn on June 19, 2014

MIRPURKHAS, June 18: The Mipurkhas district and sessions court on June 17 set free 28 peasants, allegedly forced into bonded labour, after recording their statements.

The peasants, including women and children, were recovered in a raid conducted by the Old Mirpur police on the farmlands owned by Anwer Marri and Jhando Marri.

The raid was ordered by the court on an application filed by a peasant, Rewo Kolhi, who stated that his 28 relatives had been forced into bonded labour by the landowners.

In his application, he stated that they had been kept in illegal confinement on the farmlands falling within the remit of the Old Mirpur police station.

Mr Kolhi claimed that his relatives were not being paid their wages and faclities as per the Tenancy Act.

On June 16, the police carried out the raid and recovered the peasants, who were kept at the Old Mirpur police station overnight.

On June 17 morning, they were produced in the sessions court, which recorded their statement and set them free.

Published by Daily Dawn on June 18, 2014

TIMERGARA, June 18: The government employees took to streets here on June 17 to reject the 10 per cent raise in their salaries, announced by the government in the annual budget.

The protest was organised by local chapter of All Employees Coordination Council (AECC). The protesters demanded of the government to increase their salaries according to the price hike.

The protesters, majority of them teachers, took out a rally from Balambat and marched on the road. Carrying banners and placards, they chanted slogans against the federal and provincial governments.

The protesting employees gathered outside press club where they were addressed by AECC provincial chairman Syed Mohammad Shah, Abdul Khaliq, Mohammad Sadiq Jan, Mohammad Shaeer Tajak, Mohammad Salim, Zahid Khan, Wazir Mohammad, Haji Bahadar Syed and Zahir Shah.

The speakers said that government employees were satisfied with the 10 per cent raise in their salaries. They said that keeping in view hike in prices of daily use items, raise in their salaries was not enough.

They said that government made a fun of employees by increasing their salaries just by 10 per cent. The salaries of ministers and lawmakers were increase by 200 per cent, they added.

They demanded of the government to increase their salaries according to price hike and abolish tax on salaries. They threatened to lock the government offices and educational institutions if their demand was not met.

Published by Daily Dawn on June 18, 2014

June 18: Around 250 contract employees of Punjab Auqaf Department have appealed to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Auqaf secretary to regularise them instead of recruiting new employees. Iffatullah, chairman Tanzeem-ul-Jihad, and Qazi Zaman Abbasi in an appeal to the CM have said around 250 employees working on daily wages are facing risk of losing jobs as the Auqaf Department has given an advertisement for new recruitments. They said instead of recruiting new employees, the department should adopt a procedure to regularise them. They said these employees had been serving in the department for years and now they deserved permanent jobs.

Published by Daily The News on June 18, 2014