ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of lady health workers (LHWs) continued their sit-in at Jinnah Avenue near D-Chowk today (Saturday) despite the absence of necessary facilities.
While talking to media, National Programme Health Employees Federation President Rukhsana Anwar, said that they would not call off their sit-in until their demands were met. “We will march on Parliament House because the government is not serious in addressing our demands,” she announced.
After the announcement to march on Parliament, the federal authorities brought in ladies police, water canons, teargas and Rescue 1122 to deal with any violent situation in the federal capital.
The lady health workers are among thousands of government employees from unions, associations, and organisations, who gather at Express Chowk on Wednesday in order to protest their salaries, pay structure and scale.
Meanwhile, all the protesters other than the lady health workers have left after their negotiations with ministers failed. However, lady health workers refused to leave until their demands are met.
With streetlights switched off, they have been left to sit on the road in the dark, without a supply of water or meals for them. In this regard, Rukhsana Anwar informed that the protesting women were facing several issues such as lack of toilet facilities and shortage of food items and drinking water.
Rukhsana Anwar further said that the women had to walk to the nearby petrol pumps or metro stations for toilet facilities. She alleged that the petrol pump employees and the staff at the metro stations had now told them that the government had directed them not to allow them the facilities.
“Today, the local administration has informed us that two ministers will hold talks with us but no one came here to even listen to our problems what to talk of solving them,” she added.
The protesters have 10 demands, which include the restoration of the National Programme of Family Planning in its original condition, equal bonus and pay for employees in all the provinces.
