ISLAMABAD: Police on Wednesday fired tear gas at government employees protesting for pay raise at Islamabad’s D-Chowk.
The protest led to the closure of all offices at the federal secretariat while the protesters also denied passage to Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz who was heading to his office. The protesters threw stones at the police while the police resorted to firing teargas shells to disperse them besides taking scores of them into custody.
Following the arrests, the government workers in the federal capital had announced they will march towards the Parliament House from Pakistan Secretariat for their demands and the release of their leaders.
The police had resorted to tear gas shelling after they made a move towards the Parliament. The protesters at one point had also encircled Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz.
At one point the protesting employees also closed the doors to the secretariat bringing the government machinery to a halt.
At least two dozen protesting employees were taken into custody under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).
