Arrested workers of Radio Pakistan released on bail

 Islamabad police arrested the sacked workers of Radio Pakistan yesterday for organising a sit-in 

A local magistrate in Islamabad granted bail to the arrested workers of radio Pakistan. They were arrested yesterday night from a sit-in outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Islamabad police launched crackdown against the sacked workers of Radio Pakistan protesting against their sackings.

 

Earlier in the day, the angry protesters, who have been staging a sit-in since their termination two days ago, stopped Kashmir Committee Chairman Shehryar Afridi from entering the radio Pakistan building. Afridi, however, was later allowed to move on after he assured them of talking to them on his return.

On October 20, the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) had terminated the service of 749 workers including 177 news, 531 programme and 41 NCAC/ Web Desk contract employees, citing a “budget deficit and no need of contractual human resource.”

The opposition parties including PPP and PML-N strongly condemned the sackings and police action against protesting workers of Radio Pakistan. They reminded the PTI Government which came into power with the promise of providing 10 million jobs, now lay off the contract workers.   

The PFUJ and IFJ have condemned the sackings and arrests and said that “this mass sacking from the national broadcaster is a disgrace in this time of pandemic and makes a mockery of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s promise to create 10 million jobs in the country at this time.”

 “The IFJ strongly condemns the economic harassment of Radio Pakistan contractors and demands their immediate reinstatement and for the broadcaster to begin discussion with journalist unions,” it added.

                                                             R K Bhatti