Police resort to lathi charge, tear gas shelling after teachers in PoK protest for job promotions

Police resorted to lathi-charge and firing tear gas after teachers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's capital Muzaffarabad on Wednesday staged a protest, demanding the authorities to upgrade their job ranks.

Hordes of teachers, who were reportedly headed towards a secretariat building, were interrupted by the capital's police, reported Geo News.

The police fired tear gas and resorted to lathi charge to disperse the protesting teachers, which led to several of them being injured.

20 protesters were arrested by the police.

As the protesters reacted to the police's interruption by pelting stones at the law enforcement agency, three personnel were left wounded, reported Geo News.

The teachers asked the AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider and secretary finance to meet their demands. "We will not disperse until our demands are met".

Last month, police resorted to use of force by firing tear gas and baton-charging the protesters after several teachers in Pakistan held a protest near Prime Minister Imran Khan's residence in Bgala on Saturday to protest against the new regularisation policy of their department,.

Up to 700 teachers from Punjab had reached Islamabad and decided to march on Khan's house to hold a protest against the new policy, which regularises the jobs of only those teachers who pass the examination of Public Service Commission and clear the interviews.

The protesters viewed this policy as 'unjust' as they have been working in their department on contract for several years.

( With inputs from ANI )