Staff Reporter
Peshawar
A protest demonstration was held dubbed: “Respect the Teachers” in front of the National Press Club in Islamabad to pay homage to the teaching community and their pivotal role in the nation building, importantly to press the government for acceptance of legitimate demands of the teaching community.
The protest rally spearheaded by the Amun Taraqqi Party (ATP) chairman Muhammad Faiq Shah, All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association President Malik Ibrar Hussain, political leaders, activists and workers, teachers and parents.
The participants of the protest were carrying placards and banners yell with voices in favour of teachers as ‘Respect the Teachers’, special pay package for the nation builder, incentives and relief for the private educational institutions affected the novel coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The protesters also shouted full-throated slogans, pressing the government to accept legitimate demands of the teaching community.
Talking to media persons, the demonstrators said that thousands of teachers were unemployed owing to closure of private schools in wake of Covid-19 pandemic, demanding the government to announce a special financial relief package for them.
Teachers are the nation builders but they were faced with numerous difficulties and regardless about the respect in the society, they said.
The demonstrators noted that teaching is the most respectable profession in the rest of the world, besides priority was given to education and training but the education and teachers were completely neglected in Pakistan, they added.
The participants viewed that it is the worst dilemma in the country that the nation builders are suffering from poverty and backwardness.
They observed despite the teaching community protesting to press the government for regularization of their services, which is pending for the last one decade but the authorities concerned least bothered to pay heed towards their genuine demands, they regretted.
Calling for regularization of the teachers in the light of the Superior Court judgement and approved recommendations by the cabinet committee, the participants asked the disrespect of PMDC and teaching belonging from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be apologized and cases need to be withdrawn immediately.
Faiq Shah, the ATP chairman, told the reporters that PM Imran Khan promised about bringing improvement in the education sector, which has not yet to be fulfilled.
Ibrar Hussain, President APPSCA while addressing the demonstrators demanded the government to reopen all educational institutions across the country because the future of thousands of students as well jobs of teachers were attached with it. On the occasion, the ATP presented a memorandum for brighter.
