LAHORE: Scores of dengue workers and vaccinators, including females, were taken into custody on Thursday following a clash with police on the Cooper Road.

The vaccinators and dengue workers, under the banner of the United Health Federation had been staging a peaceful demonstration outside the Punjab health services director-general office on Cooper Road for the last eight days or so, seeking regularisation of their service and restoration of conveyance allowance payment.

In the latest development, the Lahore Health Authority chief executive officer issued show-cause notices to the protesters and forwarded names of the federation leadership to the health services DG for initiating departmental action against them.

Action taken after clash with police

The step infuriated the protesters who decided to march up to the Punjab Assembly to register their protest.

Police erected barricades on the thoroughfare leading towards the Punjab Assembly building from Cooper Road.

The protesters, however, removed the barricades after pelting police with stones and bricks, injuring three of them. They also set ablaze a police vehicle and equipment of anti-riot force, besides damaging some government and private vehicles parked nearby.

The police used the tear gas, batons and water cannons to disperse the protesters.

According to police, around 25 protesters were taken into custody, while a federation spokesperson told Dawn that some 300 or so vaccinators and dengue workers, including females, had gone “missing” after the police action.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2018