38 briefly detained in Karachi as police baton-charge protesters headed towards CM House

Karachi police intervened on Wednesday to disperse a group of protesting teachers who were marching towards the Chief Minister House. Thirty-eight individuals were briefly detained during the confrontation involving tear gas and baton charges. The demonstration, organized by the All Sindh Primary Teachers Association (ASPTA), aimed to address concerns regarding the service structure and call for delegating powers for transfers and postings to district officers.

The protesters, gathering outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC), sought to present their demands as they advanced towards the CM House. However, their movement was halted when they neared Fawara Chowk, where police forces resorted to using tear gas and batons to push them back toward the press club. Surrounding roads near the KPC were subsequently closed to traffic.

South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza informed Dawn that all detained teachers had been released the following night. Earlier, Raza had stated that the administration had attempted to resolve the matter through negotiations with officials from the education department. He alleged that around 3:15pm, the protesters turned violent, breached police barricades, and began pelting them with stones, injuring one officer.

Upon reaching Kabir Masjid on Governor House Road, the situation escalated, prompting police to employ shelling to disperse the crowd and restore order. During the operation, 38 protesters, including ASPTA President Ghulam Rasool Mahar and General Secretary Aijaz Ali Chandio, were taken into custody. Rafiq Nizamani, the vice president of the teachers' association, informed Dawn that in 2021, the Sindh government had introduced a policy where teachers would not be promoted, remaining in the same pay scale.

Nizamani claimed that the government had initially assured the fulfillment of their demands, but this promise was not met. Alongside their service structure concerns, the protesters also sought the delegation of powers for posting primary teachers to district government officials and recruitment practices. Despite engaging in talks with education officials, Nizamani considered their approach as "delaying tactics" and opted to hold a protest march instead.