20 injured in clashes between workers, police: power loom units attacked

Police here on Tuesday fired tear gas shells, and resorted to firing in the air and baton charge against hundreds of protesters rallying in industrial area Sidhar on Jhang Road for increase in wages and implementation of labour laws in all powerlooms industrial units.

Protestors pelted stones and, during eight-hour clashes, five policemen including SP Madina Town Malik Yousaf and 15 power loom workers were injured, while 30 persons were arrested. According to witnesses, about 500 workers of power looms units were protesting in Sidhar industrial area, demanding increase in their salaries and social security, old age benefit and implementation of labour laws in their units.

When this protestation was going on, some armed persons started indiscriminate firing from the roof of the Factory of MPA. Resultantly, seven protestors were injured and five of them were removed to Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, where condition of Rashid Ahmad was reported to be serious.

When senior officers entered the factory of the MPA and arrested seven persons, including three gunmen, hundreds of workers surrounded the factory of Ajmal Asif, MPA, PML (Q) and demanded handing over to them all the accused persons.

To disperse them, police resorted to lathi charge, fired tear gas and used aerial firing but did not succeeded in dispersing the protesting workers till late in the evening. During clashes with police 15 protestors were injured and more than 30 were arrested, while five policemen including SP Madina Town Malik Yousaf were also injured and shifted by 1122 to hospital.

The situation remained tense, while heavy police contingents were deployed in the industrial area. Meanwhile, 500 power loom factories have been closed on Jhang Road and workers had gathered in affected area, Sidhar. Sources said that eight injured persons had been shifted to hospitals for medical aid and ten others were released from various hospitals after treatment.

Those still in hospital were Ghulam Murtaza s/o Ghulam Mustafa, 18; M. Rasheed s/o M. Bashir, 30; M Afzal s/o M Younas, 15; M Nazim s/o Nazeer Ahmed, 20; M Sheraz s/o M Sadiq, 22; M. Azeem s/o Habibullah 18; and Ali Ahmed s/o M Siddique, 16.