PESHAWAR
A group of 291 Pakistani teachers, who have served in schools established in Afghan refugee camps for the past 35 years, staged a protest sit-in outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Peshawar on Tuesday against their dismissal without prior notice or financial compensation.
The affected teachers include 100 men and 191 women belonging to Peshawar, Mardan, Timergara, Nowshera, Swabi, Haripur, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Hangu, Jalala and Shergarh, among other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The teachers said they were dismissed from their jobs on October 31 without prior notice or any financial relief, despite having devoted several decades to educating Afghan children in refugee camp schools.
The protest was led by Tufail Ahmed and Farhana Durrani, head of the women teachers. Addressing the demonstrators, they said the teachers had spent nearly four decades providing educational services under the UNHCR umbrella but were suddenly rendered jobless without any compensation or alternative financial support.
They said that despite serving in refugee camp schools for decades, the teachers had remained deprived of medical allowances, financial benefits and gratuity. Their sudden dismissal had further compounded their difficulties and pushed 291 families towards economic uncertainty.
The protesting teachers said unemployment had made it increasingly difficult for them to meet household expenses, adding that many families were facing severe financial hardship and an uncertain future.
They alleged that despite repeated visits to the UNHCR office to present their grievances, no official had come forward to hold meaningful discussions or address their concerns. They further claimed that the office doors were closed and police personnel deployed outside, while protesters were allegedly warned against continuing their demonstration.
The teachers vowed to continue their peaceful protest until their demands were addressed and they were provided appropriate financial relief in recognition of their long years of service.
They appealed to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to take notice of the matter and intervene to help the affected families.
“This is not merely an issue concerning one city; it involves 291 families from different parts of the province,” the protesters said, urging the governor to engage with the relevant authorities and help secure relief for the dismissed employees in recognition of their decades-long services.
The sit-in was attended by young and elderly women teachers as well as male teachers from different districts of the province. The protesters said their campaign would continue until their grievances were addressed and appropriate relief provided.
