SAHIWAL: The Yousafwala police baton-charged and dispersed 13 labourers protesting over, what they claimed, the non-payment of medical compensation for a colleague whose finger was severed while operating a machine at a textile mills near village 63/5-L late on Sunday.

The labourers blocked the highway for over three hours starting at 10:30pm, causing traffic disruption. Eyewitnesses reported a two-kilometre-long traffic jam worsened by fog.

Despite police attempts to negotiate with protest leader Khalid Khokharand when negotiations failed, police resorted to baton charge to clear the highway within 30 minutes.

The police registered an FIR 1 under sections 341, 186, 148, and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code against 13 protesters, including Mr Khokhar, on the complaint of ASI Gulzar Ahmed. However, no arrests have been made.

The incident originated on Jan 4, when Adnan lost a finger while operating machinery. The mill provided initial medical treatment, but his colleagues demanded full compensation as per labour laws.

Mr Khokhar told Dawn that the demands included fair compensation for the injured labourer and the withdrawal of criminal charges against peaceful protesters.

Sources said that the District Labour Department was largely inactive, sending only a field officer to assess the situation without initiating formal negotiations or taking action against the mill for unsafe working conditions.

District Labour Officer Hyder Shah confirmed the worker’s injury but provided no details about any steps taken to address the issue.

Tanveer, the general manager of the mill, stated that the injured labourer had received treatment at both public and private hospitals.

He said that a meeting between the mill owner and the labourers had not occurred, which prompted the road protest.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2025