25 Healthcare Providers Detained By Karachi Police After Protesting for Better Working Conditions

Catherine Yu 

Pakistan & Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

On Friday evening, healthcare providers from the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) gathered on the major Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road to call for better working conditions. The demonstration began when warnings were issued to the Pakistani government on Thursday, who later promptly failed to comply with demands to include a health risk allowance in staff' wages. As one healthcare provider stated “[i]f the government didn’t make the health risk allowance part of our salaries by 12 noon, we will march towards the Chief Minister’s House after Friday prayers,” said Dr Faizan Memon (Memon, 2022). After the Friday prayers, protesters were stopped by police barriers outside of the DJ Science College. Furthermore, footage of demonstrators, including women, being manhandled and dragged along the ground by Karachi police was later displayed on television channels. 

Protesters were warned by a committee sent by the Sindh government to vacate the main artery, “[b]ut the protesters rejected the notification and demanded the health minister personally visit them and assure them their demands will be accepted”, said SSP Raza to Dawn.com (SSP Raza, 2022). As demonstrators continued to block the main route, causing inconvenience to bystanders, police were obliged to dispatch a riot squad. “Which used water cannons to disperse them and detained 25 protesters, including 10 women”, said SSP Raza (SSP Raza, 2022). Dawn.com was later informed by Dr. Faizon Memon, a member of the Young Doctors Alliance, that discussions were being held with police officials. Initially, it was agreed upon that the demonstrators would leave the main street and later continue their sit-in outside the Sindh Secretariat. Yet, soon after demonstrators began to make their way, “police reneged on the agreement and resorted to baton-charging and using water cannons against the protesters, Memon said” (Ali, 2022). Following reports that the leaders of the GHA alliance had been taken into custody, protesters issued a number of warnings stating that they would intensify their demonstrations if the members were not quickly released.

Sources and further reading:

Ali, I. (2022, November 11). Karachi police manhandle protesting healthcare providers, 25 'detained'. DAWN.COM. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.dawn.com/news/1720327/karachi-police-manhandle-protesting-healthcare-providers-25-detained 

The Newspaper's Staff Reporter. (2022, November 11). Healthcare providers give deadline to Govt. DAWN.COM. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.dawn.com/news/1720185/healthcare-providers-give-deadline-to-govt 

Memon, F. (2022). DAWN.COM. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.dawn.com/news/1720327/karachi-police-manhandle-protesting-healthcare-providers-25-detained 

SSP Raza. (2022) DAWN.COM. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.dawn.com/news/1720327/karachi-police-manhandle-protesting-healthcare-providers-25-detained