LHWs continue protest despite hardships

ISLAMABAD-A large gathering of Lady Health Workers (LHWs) in the D-Chowk continued their protest on Friday despite few of them fainting due to hardships of weather and lack of food and shelter.

The LHWs protest entered into third day including two nights spent under the open sky, however government remained unsuccessful in convincing them to end their protest.

The District Administration (DA) and government negotiation team led by State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan held rounds of talks with LHWs leadership but didn’t reach any conclusion.

LHWs giving ultimatum to the government to accept their demands also vowed to march towards the Parliament upon un-fulfilment of their demands of providing service structure and raising their salaries.

Central President LHWs Rukhsana Anwar said that government had assured holding talks with them in evening but so far no one from the government has arrived.

“We all have been made hostage here,” she remarked.

Rukhsana Anwar alleged that the nearby hotels have been directed by the local administration to not provide us food. She added that if government does not listen to our demands, the protestors will march towards the Parliament.

She said that LHWs will not compromise the ten-point agenda and urges government to take measures to resolve their demands.

She also said that government does not look serious in resolving the longstanding issues of LHWs as no serious effort has been made by it so far.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Member National Assembly (MNA) Shazia Mari reached the protesting venue to express solidarity with LHWs.

She said that government is not even providing job security to LHWs who have spent 25 years in the service. She said that unarmed female protestors are sitting on roads but government is not listening to them.

Shazia Mari said that in the time of inflation, the government has taken measures of snatching bread and butter from the poor.

She also said that Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had sent food for the protestors.

The LHWs though planned to move towards the Parliament crossing the barbed wires, however, the decision was not implemented after talks with the District Administration.

Hundreds of LHWs from all provinces on Wednesday reached the federal capital and spent three days and two nights but remained undeterred. LHWs though held few rounds of talks with the government officials but the deadlock remained intact and the government remained unsuccessful to convince them to vacate the protesting venue.

Shortage of basic human necessities at the protesting place though created difficulties for them during nights, however, majority of them decided to stay there until their demands were met. Their leadership also threatened to boycott the next anti-polio drive if the government did not fulfil their demands and provide them a relief package.

Article source: https://nation.com.pk/17-Oct-2020/lhws-continue-protest-despite-hardships