Deepali Kalia –
A protest erupted in Muzaffarabad city in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) against the job regularization law which has been declared by the protestors as a “discriminatory and suppressive” legislation.
The legislation seeks to regularise an unspecified number of ad hoc, temporary and contractual employees in the name of “humanity”.
It was stated by the government of the occupied region that the legislation passed by the legislative assembly was formulated in order to address the years-long demands of regularisation of the contractual workers’ jobs.
Protesters, however claimed that only the people who had allegiance or any other link with the ruling people got the jobs.
A petition challenging the legislation has also been filed by five youth and two prominent civil society activists in the High Court of the region.
The petitioners contended that the law was “inconsistent and in contravention” with the occupied region’s ‘Constitution’ and was passed in derogation of the UN Charter of Human Rights.
It was declared by the protesters that they will continue their demonstrations until the law is either rolled back by the Government or revoked by the Court.
