KARACHI: The protest by the primary school teachers being forced to work on a contractual basis, rather than as regular employees, entered into day 4 on Thursday.
A score of teachers, including a large number of women from different areas of Sindh, reached the Karachi Press Club to register their protest against the Sindh government.
Carrying placards and banners, the protestors chanted slogans against the Sindh government. They claimed to have been recruited on merit basis as they had passed National Testing Service (NTS) and the Sindh University exams but said that their jobs were not being regularized and confirmed by the government.
The protest was led by a junior school teacher, Rahib Soomro . He told the media that the Sindh Chief Minister (CM) had assured them to fix a meeting to consider their demands, but the CM did not fulfil his commitment.
On the occasion, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sindh chapter president Sarfraz Khan attended the protest camp as of token of unity with the teachers.
Talking to the media, he charged that the ruling Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) had sold all types of government jobs in Sindh. He alleged that the PPP government has only promoted corruption in Sindh, adding it has destroyed every department including health, education and irrigation. He added that Sindh government is responsible for ruthless torture on teachers.
He said these teachers were recruited by PPP government, and now they are beaten up by the police of the same government. He demanded that teachers’ issues should be addressed immediately.
He further said that both the Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa (KP) and Punjab governments have regularized NTS test passed teachers, so the Sindh government should also follow their precedent.
Separately, Primary Teachers Association (PTA) leaders Shafi Muhammad, Ali Nawaz Pahnwer and others continued the hunger strike. They said that they would not end their hunger strike until their demands are being met.
Later, Additional Secretary Education, Moazzam Ali Marri met with PTA leaders and assured that tomorrow he will arrange a meeting of PTA and NTS teachers with education secretary of Sindh.
