- Sindh CM announces timescale for teachers appointed in 1992, regularisation of services of 21,000 teachers
- Asks home minister to submit report after police baton-charge and arrest protesting teachers
- Bilawal slams use of force on teachers, Zardari orders release of detained teachers
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Thursday announced to award timescale to the teachers appointed in 1992 and regularise the services of the NTS and of Sindh University test teachers, as teachers protesting for regularisation of their contracts were tear-gassed and baton-charged by police in front of the press club to stop them from heading towards Bilawal House.
At least two teachers were injured due to the shelling while police took 10 protesters in custody, a spokesperson of the teachers’ union said.
As teachers arrived at the scheduled time at the Karachi Press Club and tried to proceed toward Bilawal House, the police deployed at all surrounding roads baton-charged them, fired tear gas shells and used water cannon on the unarmed protesters.
Chief Minister Shah took notice of the police action against the protesting teachers and directed Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal to get them released and submit a detailed report on the incident.
Teachers are most respected people in the society and their humiliation would not be allowed at any cost, chief minister said.
Shah said that he had held a meeting with the teachers’ association and accepted all the demands they put up. In principle, the protest or sit-in at press club or anywhere else in the province should have been called off after acceptance of the demands, he added.
The chief minister directed the home minister to take action against the policemen who initiated action against the teachers.
Furthermore, Murad also announced to award timescale to the teachers appointed in 1992 and regularise the services of the NTS and of Sindh University test teachers.
The teachers’ body said that the teachers who have qualified Sindh University and Iqra University tests should be regularised, along with the regularisation of NTS pass contract teachers. On this, the chief minister directed education department to issue regularisation of Sindh and Iqra universities and issue their regularisation order.
“As far as NTS pass contract teachers’ regularisation is concerned, it has been approved by the cabinet,” he said and added that the minutes of the cabinet have also been issued. “We are regularising NTS pass contract teachers without any condition,” the chief minister said, adding that in this way, 21,000 teachers would be regularised.
The chief minister was also told that about 12,000 teachers were appointed in 1992 in grade B-17 but they have been denied timescale. On this, the chief minister directed education secretary and finance secretary to solve this issue within 24 hours and send a summary for his approval.
It may be noted that with the approval of timescale, the teachers working in grade B-7 and B-9 would be upgraded to grade B-16.
The teachers also said that the salaries of NTS teachers working in Karachi have been stopped. The chief minister directed education secretary to release their salaries.
He said that he is ready to resolve all the issues of the teachers, but he just wanted to ask teachers to support him in improving the standard of education.
The teachers’ association thanked the chief minister for resolving their issues and accepting their demands.
Timeline of Teachers’ Protests in Karachi:
On July 25, around 300 government school teachers renewed their demand for salaries outside KPC.
A similar protest was held earlier as well, which ended in front of Sindh Assembly on June 5, the same day the provincial budget was announced. However, it ended after Secretary of School Education Abdul Aziz Uqaili assured the protesters that their problems will be resolved within a week.
On September 12, the police had baton-charged protesting teachers outside KPC. Police injured two of the protesters and arrested three, besides using water cannons on the protesters. However, on the same day, Sindh Information Secretary Nasir Hussain Shah reached the protest site and carried out negotiations with the protesters.
Again on September 18, the protesters tried to march towards the high-security Red Zone where the Chief Minister’s House is located to protest and present their demands, whereas the police resorted to baton charge and used water cannon to stop the protesters from heading toward the Red Zone outside the KPC. As a result, several people were injured and some were taken into custody.
On November 23, teachers took to streets once again for the non-payment of their salaries. Meanwhile, Sindh Education Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar also admitted that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had been at the centre of corruption in the hiring of teachers in the province.
The minister said in a statement, “There was 23,000 ghost hiring in the province, with 11,000 in Karachi alone, at a time when there were no vacancies.” He added, “The [relevant] department was bribed to hire teachers by the dozen in 2012, some of whom are not even acquainted with the Arabic language.”
The protesters claimed that School Education Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili had assured two months back that their salaries would be paid but he had failed to keep his promise.
On December 10, the march started from the mausoleum of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai in Bhit Shah, and after passing through various cities arrived at the KPC. When the teachers arrived at the scheduled time at the press club and tried to proceed onwards, the police deployed at all surrounding roads baton-charged them, fired tear gas shells and used water cannon, causing injuries to some protesting teachers to stop protesters from reaching to Bilawal House.
On December 20, the protest which was being staged at Burns Road, ended after negotiations were held between them and the south district commissioner.
On December 26, the protesting teachers decided to continue sit-in outside the press club after police officers tortured them for marching towards Chief Minister House.
On December 28, despite being offered to negotiate with commissioner and meeting with CM, the teachers said that they will protest until their demands, related to making them permanent and a rise in salaries, are met.
December 25, as teachers arrived at the scheduled time at the Karachi Press Club and tried to proceed onwards, the police already deployed at all surrounding roads baton-charged them, fired tear gas shells and used water cannon, causing injuries to some protesting teachers.
In reaction to police’s atrocity, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari slammed the use of force on teachers in a press conference.
Bilawal said that “peaceful protest is every citizen’s democratic right”. He added, “I understand Sindh police are extra independent these days but I expect Sindh CM to protect democratic norms.”
PPP Co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari, taking notice of the police action against protesting teachers in Karachi, directed the Sindh home minister for the release of detained teachers. According to a statement issued here on Thursday, Zardari also asked Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Sindh Education Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar to sit with representatives of the teachers and resolve their genuine demands. He further said, “We are democratic people and always prefer to resolve issues through dialogue.”
On December 26, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Liaquat Ali Jatoi condemned the police crackdown saying that the provincial government will face consequences if it failed to fulfil the legitimate demands of the teachers.
Teachers across the provinces have been protesting non-payment of salaries for the last five years.