LAHORE: Protest at the Punjab Assembly by the teachers and students of Joint Actions Committee resulted in damaged buses, injured protestors by the police’s baton charge and the arrests of students and office bearers of Punjab Lecturers and Professors Union on Wednesday.
At least four buses were stoned and put to fire by the students in retaliation to the police baton charge. Dozens of teachers and students were arrested as they came close to the Punjab Assembly’s main gate. Teachers blamed the Punjab Police’s attitude and said the response was natural from the students after the baton charge started.
After this violent episode, when the teachers again staged a sit-in in front of the security barricades of PA building, which is in front of the MPAs’ exit point, police rushed in to arrest the teachers (around 35) to clear the way for MPAs.
Transport manager of a local bus company, Malik Abul Latif said at least three buses were burnt but he could not estimate the losses at that time. “I brought these students from MAO College and the same students started stoning my buses, which is quite depressing. I don’t know who will listen to my voice. Students and the government should take the responsibility of this loss,” he said.
A teacher from the Emerson College Multan, Latif, who came to protest against the Board of Governors (BoG) system, told Pakistan Today that he felt sorry about the students who turned violent in the protest. He said the teachers had been protesting for the last seven months but never became violent.
Buses burnt, students and teachers arrested
