PESHAWAR: Public school teachers staged a protest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, demanding promotions and other concessions.
In the provincial capital, protesting teachers gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club.
The provincial president of the teachers’ association, Azizullah Khan, led the demonstrators, who carried banners and placards bearing slogans in support of their demands.
They said the price hikes had already affected people from all walks of life, but on the other hand, the government cut their pensions, creating more problems for them.
Calling it an injustice, they said they had been trying to get promotions from grades 15 to 16 and 17 for the past three years, but the government remained indifferent to them.
They said they wanted to maintain a peaceful atmosphere in educational institutions but would launch a campaign if their demands were not granted.
In Mardan, hundreds of district primary school teachers staged a protest outside the Mardan Press Club in support of their demands.
All Primary Teacher Association (Apta) Provincial Senior Vice President Khalid Kamal, District President Zawar Khan, General Secretary Bakhtzada, Chairman of Board of Education Hafiz Zubair Ahmed, President Usman Sanghar, General Secretary Fazl Hussain, Provincial General Secretary of OHS Farhad Takkar, President of Wahdat Hafiz Inam Teachers Association and others led the protest rally while primary school teachers attended in large numbers.
Speakers on occasion said they rejected deduction in monthly payments
pensions, and also called on the government to immediately issue a notification to regularize ad hoc teachers.
They said that the current inflation has hit the government employees hard on the one hand, while on the other hand, the government wanted to reduce the monthly pensions of the employees.
They also demanded promotions for elementary school teachers at base 15 scale and principals at 16 and 17 scale. Later, the protesters dispersed peacefully.
Anwar Hussain adds from Shangla: The Association of All Primary Teachers (Apta) held a protest rally on Friday in support of their demands. The demonstrators demanded that the government immediately approve their four demands. They held signs and shouted slogans against the government’s injustices towards teachers. The protesters demanded that base scale 15 be given to primary school teachers in BA, BSc, scales 16 and 17 be given to headteachers, that the proposed pension reforms be reversed and that all teachers be given a dearness allowance.
Apta Provincial Vice President Muhammad Alam, Deputy General Secretary Mujibur Rahman, General Secretary Sanaullah, Teachers Association Presidents Sajjad Ali, Haji Nawab, Class Four Association President Fazal Hadi, Waheed Akhtar SST and others spoke on this occasion. On the other hand, various teacher organizations have also announced their support for Apta and demanded the government to resolve their issues immediately. The parents also asked the government to approve the legitimate demands of the teachers.
