As teachers’ protest entered the eighth day on Monday, All FATA Communal Teachers Association (AFCTA) warned the federal government of launching protests across the tribal areas along with hunger strike if they won’t be regularized at the earliest.
The hundreds of teachers who are continually holding sit-in in front of the parliament here for last 8 days, also warned to hold a forceful protest in front of the parliament lodges on Tuesday against the FATA parliamentary leader Munir Orakzai for his inaction for raising their issues. Leaders of the protesters said that other organizations of regular teachers in FATA and KP have vowed to support communal teachers’ protests.
Talking to Online, Secretary General, Sadiq Ahmad, AFCTA’s Action Committee, said teachers settled in area and employees in various departments like NADRA and NHA were regularized but the teachers of FATA are ignored. “Even after 13 years of our employment we are still on contract and last year they (Officials) issued termination order and then re-employment on a new contract causing fall in the salaries.
President of the Action Committee Shah Hakeem said that teachers in FATA are also Pakistanis as other employees throughout the country.
The teachers’ leaders said that parents of the 130,000 children admitted in 956 communal schools across FATA and the peons are supporting the protests to be started in Peshawar and the tribal area against discriminatory treatment of the employees in the seven agencies and Frontier Regions.
However, they clarified that so far no decision of closing down the schools were taken.
There are 1912 teachers and 956 peons working in various communal schools across FATA, the less developed area which have the lowest literacy rate in the country.
According to the reports staffers of 401 girls communal schools are included in the protesting teaching personnel.
Met Dept holds training to enhance forecasting understanding: The Meteorological Department Monday held a day-long training here to improve the understanding of forecasting and early warning process for metrological disasters.
The training was organized by Pakistan Metrological Department (PDM), World Vision International, Help Age International, ‘Save the Children”, Malteser International and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Almost 49 representatives from international & national NGOs, Red Cross/Red Crescent organizations, UN agencies, and academy and government departments attended the training.
During the training, the participants discussed the existing system of weather fore casting and formulated recommendations to improve the process of dissemination of early warning messages at the community level in local languages.
One of the recommendations emphasized on developing strong linkages between civil society organizations and PMD for dissemination of the early warning messages. The participants also suggested continuing organizing such sessions at provincial levels including the remote vulnerable districts where disasters occur frequently.
The Director General of PMD and the Disaster Risk Reduction Director NDMA addressing the participants highlighted the work of PMD to accurately track and warn about weather-related hazards in Pakistan and emphasized on the need of strengthened collaboration between government and civil society organizations to help ensure that during disasters, all at-risk communities are reached effectively.
Free camp treats 1,700 pollen allergy patients: As many as 1,700 pollen allergy patients have been treated at the free pollen allergy relief camp set up by the ICT Administration at Aabpara Community Centre.
Drug Inspector/camp coordinator, Sardar Shabbir Ahmed said that 247 patients were treated at the camp on Monday and all the medicines were provided free of cost to them. He said the ICT administration in coordination with the pharmaceutical companies and allergy experts of the city has made special arrangements for the camp and there is sufficient stock of all the required medicines, allopathic, homeopathic and tib-e-unami and inhalers at the camp which are donated by the chemists and pharmaceutical companies in pollen allergy season.
The patients who are visiting the camp, have expressed their complete satisfaction over the treatment facilities and specially hailed the donor pharmaceutical companies and known chemists of the city, dedicated doctors, Paramedics including Dr.Osman Yousaf, Dr.Zaman, Dr.Nasir, and Hakeem Rizwan Hafeez who are rendering their services for a noble cause and donating medicines for the camp.
The residents of Islamabad have also appreciated the efforts of the district administration for a noble cause and thanked the chief commissioner for holding the camp and providing maximum treatment facilities to the patients at the camp.
