High Powered Committee constituted to resolve LHWs issues, Senate told

ISLAMABAD: A high powered committee comprising the representatives of establishment division, provinces and center has been constituted to resolve the issues of protesting lady health workers (LHWs) and others, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan told Upper House of the Parliament on Monday.

Responding to point of orders raised by Senators, he said the relevant ministries and provinces were taken on-board to resolve the issues of lady health workers and others.

Giving details of his meeting with protesting LHWs and government employees, who staged protest demonstration near D chowk, he said, he along with deputy speaker Qasim Suri and Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak had engaged the protestors immediately after they arrived at D Chowk and held negotiations with them and assured resolution of their demands.

“We assured the protestors to convey their demands to relevant quarters,” he said adding that LHWs were pressing the reinstatement of six or seven sacked colleagues and their demands could not be met as the cases were sub judice.

Lashing out at former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, he said Nawaz Sharif had fled country after brokering 10 year deal with former President Pervez Mausharraf in 2000.

Earlier, speaking on point of order, Amir Jamat e Islami Senator Sirajul Haq urged the government to hold negotiations with the protesting lady health workers (LHWs) and give sympathetic consideration to their demands.

He said hundreds of women have been protesting since Oct 14 for a service structure and an increase in salaries to meet rising inflation.

Senator Kabir Muhammad Shahi said Lady health workers (LHWs) were sitting near D Chowk sans any notice from the concerned quarters.