38 briefly detained in Karachi as police baton-charge protesters headed towards CM House
KARACHI: Thirty-eight people were released after brief detention on Wednesday as police used tear gas and batons against protesting teachers headed towards Chief Minister House from Karachi Press Club (KPC). Hundreds of teachers had gathered outside the press club at the call of the All Sindh Primary Teachers Association (ASPTA). They were headed towards CM House to present their demands that…
On Wednesday, thirty-eight individuals were briefly detained in Karachi as police responded to a protest by teachers marching toward the Chief Minister House. The demonstrators, organized by the All Sindh Primary Teachers Association (ASPTA), called for improvements in the service structure and the delegation of power for transfers and postings to district officers.
The protest began at the Karachi Press Club (KPC), where hundreds of teachers gathered. They planned to march towards the CM House, chanting slogans and attempting to enter the area. However, when they neared Fawara Chowk, police intervened with batons and tear gas, pushing the protesters back towards the KPC. Adjoining roads were closed to traffic.
South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza confirmed that all detained teachers were released at night after confirming 38 were taken into custody earlier. Raza stated that prior to the protest, the administration attempted negotiations with the teachers' organization, but the protesters turned violent, breaching police barricades and throwing stones at police.
The situation escalated when they reached Kabir Masjid on Governor House Road, leading to police using force to disperse the crowd and restore order. Mayor Ghulam Rasool Mahar and General Secretary Aijaz Ali Chandio were among those arrested. Rafiq Nizamani, the vice president of the ASPTA, explained that the protest stems from an "education policy" introduced in 2021, which prevented teachers from being promoted.
The teachers demanded that their demands be addressed, including delegating power for postings to district officials.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
