The Federal Government College Teachers Association (FGCTA) has expressed reservations over the notification of promotions of 131 college lecturers by the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) from January 5, 2012. The teachers were promised to be promoted from BPS-17 to BPS 18 from January 1, 2011 as per the Prime Minister’ directives but the notification issued by CADD on January 26 promoted the lecturers from January 5, 2012, violating the directives of the PM. The letters issued by the Finance Division and the CADD earlier mentioned the promotions of teachers from January 1, 2011 but changed the date later. This promotion, following the time scale formula, was a part of Prime Minister’s special package for the teachers, announced on November 8, 2010 during his address to a gathering of teachers at a convention centre. FGCTA Secretary General Professor Tahir Mahmood told APP that the Prime Minister’s directives clearly indicated that the posts of lecturers be upgraded with effect from January 1, 2011 but the CADD promoted lecturers from January 5, 2012. Moreover the names of Tahir Azam, computer science lecturer, F.G college F-10/4 and Asad Abbas Mathematics lecturer, F.G College of Commerce H-8/4 and many others were dropped from the promotion list, without conveying any specific reason. Mehmood demanded that any objection on their promotion be removed immediately and insisted on expediting the finalisation of the DPC. He urged the CADD to send a request to the Central Selection Board for the promotion of the BPS-19 and BPS-20 cases. He also expressed the grievances of the teachers’ community and said the promotion cases were delayed under one pretext or the other. FGCTA Vice President Professor Yasmeen Bokhari said, “The PM package will benefit the teachers, especially those working in the same grade for the last 20 years, if it is implemented in its true spirit.” The implementation of the package will accelerate the promotions of the teachers in the future and will alleviate their economic problems, enabling them to perform their duties with more commitment and devotion. The behaviour about the teaching community must be revised and their role in the nation building be acknowledged which is only way to realise the dream of a prosperous Pakistan in the coming years.
