JAVED KHAN
PESHAWAR
As the primary schoolteachers’ sit-in for post upgradation continued here for the fourth consecutive day, the elementary and secondary education department on Friday outlined a strategy to manage the ongoing teachers’ strike, drafting suspension orders for those participating in the protest and not performing their duties.
The sit-in of the PSTs in the provincial capital has entered its fourth consecutive day, leading to the closure of all primary schools across the province.
The teachers, who are holding a sit-in protest outside Jinnah Park, have vowed not to end their demonstration until their demand for upgradation is formally announced.
Niaz Ali, a senior representative of the APTA and a primary schoolteacher, told Lead Pakistan that president Azizullah Khan met with KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Thursday to discuss issues including teacher’s upgradation and pensions.
However, Ali stated that the meeting ended without any positive outcome. He added that the Chief Minister had requested two hours to respond to the teachers’ demand, but even after 24 hours, there has been no response from the Chief Minister’s office.
Primary schoolteachers would continue their protest until the KP government fulfilled their demand for upgradation, the association leader Azizullah Khan said in a statement and added that teachers were undeterred by the threat of job suspension, which, he said, would only strengthen their resolve.
Meanwhile, the provincial government has prepared a strategy to tackle the sit-in and ensure smooth operation of the primary schools across KP.
A draft has been drawn up by the elementary and secondary education department to suspend teachers involved in the protest, citing violations of Article 25-A of the Constitution, which mandates free and compulsory education.
According to sources, the draft includes a charge sheet, and individual complaints will be issued against the teachers not performing duties and participating in the Peshawar sit-in as per the department directives.
In August this year, the provincial cabinet reversed the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government’s decision to upgrade over 130,000 schoolteacher positions across the province.
In its final cabinet meeting on January 17, 2023, the government led by then Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had approved the upgradation of primary schoolteachers.
Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, Engineer Amir Muqam, condemned the KP government’s stance on protesting teachers, expressing strong solidarity with the schoolteachers.
Speaking at a news conference, he called the KP government’s actions “highly condemnable” and accused them of contradicting their own words by cracking down on teachers while previously endorsing similar protests.
“Taking such actions against teachers, who are the nation’s builders, is deplorable,” he said, adding that his party, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and the federal government stand firmly with the teachers.
