All public gatherings banned in Balochistan’s Quetta as teachers threaten protests

The provincial government in Balochistan has imposed Section 144 in Quetta district, banning all public gatherings. The move comes amid a sit-in protest call given by the Teachers’ Association against the government’s failure to announce hikes in salary.

Citing the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, the provincial government of Pakistan’s Balochistan issued a otificaion on Sunday informing the public about the government’s decision to ban gatherings of five or more people in Quetta.

On Sunday, a large number of teachers had reached Quetta to participate in the protests. Last month, hundreds of teachers had held a massive protest demanding pay hikes in the city of Muzaffarabad, situated in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Threatening to boycott all government duties including election work, the teachers urged the government to fulfil their demands.

Pakistan’s economy has already taken a beating due to the coronavirus pandemic and things can only get tough for the Imran Khan-led Pakistan government.

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