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Pakistan: Teachers and Farmers Protests Brutally Crushed in Sindh
Mohsin, Ali
http://www.counterpunch.org/2018/01/02/pakistan-teachers-and-farmers-protests-brutally-crushed-in-sindh/Date Written: 2018-01-02 Publisher: CounterPunch Year Published: 2018 Resource Type: Article Cx Number: CX21929 On December 25, 2017, primary, secondary and high school teachers in Karachi held a defiant protest against the Sindh government due to its refusal to provide them with permanent jobs despite having agreed to do so in 2014. The provincial government is refusing to honor its agreement even after forcing teachers to pass a rigorous examination conducted by the National Testing Service and the University of Sindh. Abstract: - Excerpt: The police in Punjab are notoriously corrupt and usually the first to resort to violence. On more than one occasion, police in Punjab have even used violent tactics against blind workers protesting for more job opportunities and the implementation of disabled-friendly policies in the province. Meanwhile, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, doctors and nurses have repeatedly been attacked by police when organizing protests to demand better working conditions. The response of the state to protests and movements of workers, the rural poor and other oppressed groups contrasts sharply with its strategy of appeasement and accommodation when dealing fascistic Muslim clerics and other reactionaries when such forces hold protests and launch movements. Throughout the month of November, Islamic extremists were allowed to wreak havoc in the capital city of Islamabad for 3 weeks, complicating daily life for thousands of ordinary people. As usual, no meaningful action was taken against the religious right, despite violent behavior by the protestors. The Punjab Rangers chief as even caught on video distributing cash to the demonstrators and allowing them to take selfies with him. Eventually, the federal government caved in to the clerics' key demands, further empowering the clergy and emboldening extremist elements. Subject Headings |