The 16,000 employees of National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) are still waiting for an assurance by the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which always claimed to be pro-workers, for their jobs and salaries of the last three months.
Owing to the undecided fate, the employees and management of the NCHD are facing a difficult situation, as the government wanted to devolve the organization under the 18th Amendment, a move vehemently resisted by the provinces. Subsequently, the government decided to abolish NCHD; however, it had announced to retain the body because of sustained pressure by the employees. But the government has now stopped funding the commission.
“In lieu of the 18th Amendment, the federal government discontinued the provision of funds for the human development interventions. NCHD, being an autonomous body working under the Cabinet Division, is being considered a devolved subject but no provincial government adopted the commission,” said a senior official of NCHD. He said despite the categorical announcement made by the Implementation Commission that not even a single employee would be dismissed from service, the future of 16,000 employees is still undecided and they are not being paid for the last three months.
”According to the Article 25-A, the state is responsible to provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such manner as may be determined by law. Hence, education is a fundamental human right according to the Constitution of Pakistan and depriving over 500,000 children studying in NCHD’s community schools is a complete negation of Article 25-A,” said Rifat Bibi, a NCHD teacher. The employees demand the government to make the NCHD functional by releasing funds for it.
Fate of NCHD employees hangs in the balance
