Punjab Bandh

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Government services across Punjab are expected to be disrupted on Thursday, August 27, as lakhs of employees and pensioners observe a one-day strike over a series of long-pending demands. The protest has been announced by the Sanjha Mulazim Manch Punjab and UT, with more than three lakh government employees and around four lakh pensioners expected to stay away from work. Despite the scale of the protest, union leaders have stressed that Thursday will not be a ‘Punjab Bandh’. There will be no road blockades or attempts to stop traffic, and private businesses and shops will not be…

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): A statewide shutdown called by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha is being observed in Punjab today, with the seven-hour protest expected to affect road, rail and commercial activity at several places. The bandh began at 7 am and will continue until 2 pm. The protest has been called primarily to press for the release of Sikh prisoners who, according to the Morcha, have completed their sentences but continue to remain behind bars. Another prominent demand is the grant of a 10-day parole to Jagtar Singh Hawara, who is serving a sentence in connection with the assassination of former…