Lucky Cement Factory Workers Union President Muhammad Ismail was arrested by Ghaznikhel police under 3 MPO (Maintenance of Public Order) from premises of the office of district coordination officer here on Monday, sources said.
The sources said that leaders of the union including its President Muhammad Ismail, Sajjad Khan, Bismillah Jan and others were present at the office of Lakki Marwat DCO Muhammad Ayaz Mandokhel when a police party headed by SHO Muhammad Salim apprehended Mohammad Ismail.
When contacted, the DCO said that Lakki Marwat District Police Officer Gul Wali Khan had sought invocation of the 3-MPO after submitting a detailed charge sheet against Muhammad Ismail.
When contacted, Lucky Cement Factory Deputy General Manager Anwar Tariq said that he had submitted a complaint with the local administration against the union chief for his anti-factory activities.
Regarding the designation of the held president, DGM said: “Kindly don’t use ‘president of workers union’ in your stories as he has been terminated by the management and was no more the employee of the factory.” He said the labour leaders have already lost their case in the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) and had now moved the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, sacked leader of the factory’s workers union, Sajjad Khan, told The News that they held a meeting with the DCO on November 15 and he asked them to visit again for another meeting which was to be held on November 22 where DCO had called the representatives of the factory management and union workers to form a joint committee for resolution of their issues.
He alleged that office-bearers of the union were sitting in a waiting room at the DCO office for the scheduled meeting when the police arrived and arrested their president. He said: “Besides other issues, our agenda was about safe recovery of our factory worker, Attaur Rehman son of Ghaniur Rehman, who went missing on November 15.”
It may be added here that five labour leaders including Muhammad Ismail, Sajjad Khan, Bismillah Jan, Mohammad Latif and Shadmir Khan were interned in Bannu Prison under 7 Anti-Terrorist Act for 54 days and were recently bailed out.
A day before his arrest Muhammad Ismail told The News that during their detention the management of Lucky Cement Factory had issued them notices which could not be complied as they were imprisoned. “We were not involved in terrorism but arrested under the Anti-Terrorist Act,” he said, adding that the union leaders had also lodged a case with the Pezu Police against the factory management for attempt on his life but no action was taken against those who had hatched the conspiracy of killing him.
(Daily TheNews Published on November 23, 2010)