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At least 2 dock workers of PQA were killed and several others seriously injured when police and Rangers allegedly opened gunfire and teargas shelling at the protesting dockers at the seaport, here on Tuesday. Hundreds of dock workers of Port Qasim Authority (PQA) allegedly came under gunfire shot by Rangers during their protest demonstration at the seaport, leaving scores of protestors critically injured and some missing, sources said.
But a spokesman for Akbar Portia Marine Terminal Ltd (FAP), blamed the protestors for beating up the terminal's workers and damaging the offices and billion of rupees machinery worth billions of rupees. According to sources, the protestors entered the Akbar Portia Marine Terminal Ltd (FAP) established inside PQA's jurisdiction to protest for what they called their legitimate right of work at the private terminal.
Workers have been voicing concerns over the private terminal's policy of not employing the PQA dockers and in this regard held several meetings during the last several months but could not achieve the purpose, they said. "They [dockers] have also held protest demonstrations before but all were outside Port Qasim. This time they staged the agitation in front of the private cargo terminal," they added.
A member of the action committee of PQA workers, Gul Mohammad, told Business Recorder that over 1600 dock labours were holding a "peaceful" demonstration for their rights of work, when came under gunfire. "We were standing there when Rangers opened gunfire directly at us and injured at least 30 protestors while several fell into the harbour's," he said adding that "many are feared dead".
He also alleged that the Rangers were not allowing ambulances inside the harbour to shift the injured protestors to hospitals "only to cover up their illegal action". Gul alleged that a huge contingent of police and about 2500 Rangers personnel had carried out the teargas shelling and indiscriminate firing at the unarmed dock workers. He said Rangers were still after the slightly injured and protestors trapped inside the seaport. Whereas, FAP spokesman said the protestors had targeted the FAP offices and beaten up several terminal workers besides damaging the expensive cargo handling machinery.
"Four workers of FAP are seriously injured, one is critical while one has lost his eye during the attack of the protesting dock workers," he said adding about eight workers had been locked inside a gutter. He said Rangers and police then took the notice of the situation and resorted to gunfire and teargas shelling to disperse the protestors. He alleged the PQA dock workers had been intimidating FAP to withdraw the court case and accept their demands, asking the cargo terminal to replace them with the existing workers. "As the issue is pending in the court, such an attack by dockers is unfair and unjustified," he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2011

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