Rangers attack on striking PIA workers denounced

ISLAMABAD, February 2: Scores of political workers, activists and workers from various unions converged on the Islamabad Press Club at a protest organised by the Awami Workers Party on Tuesday evening to denounce the violent attack on striking PIA workers by police and Rangers in Karachi on the same day. The protestors denounced the use of paramilitary forces against workers who they said were exercising their fundamental right to organize and protest and called for justice for those killed in the assault. The demonstrators also called for immediate withdrawal of the Essential Services Maintenance Act, whereby the government had banned union activity in PIA and demanded that the government halt the plans for privatization of the national carrier via the undemocratic means of Presidential ordinances.
Speaking on the occasion, Malik Nasir Awan of the PIA Joint Action Committee said that the government was now resorting to all out violence to suppress the democratic demands of the striking PIA workers. A number of trade unionists from other organizations, including PTCL, Railways, OGDC and WAPDA also attended the demonstration. Several trade unionists including Malik Fateh of WAPDA, Dr. Changez of PTUDC and Akram Bunda of PWF also spoke on the occasion.-PR