ISLAMABAD: In utter frustration, the protesting daily wage teachers on Tuesday stopped the ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s convoy to press for the acceptance of their demands.
A large number of daily wage teachers including females briefly stopped the convoy of the ousted prime minister while he was headed to the accountability court for the hearing of the NAB references against the Sharif family.
The teachers wanted to convey their concerns to Nawaz, as they complained that despite performing their duties for the last ten to twelve years, their services had not been regularised.
The irate daily wage teachers chanted slogans against the government especially against Federal Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, as they said it was his non-serious attitude to not have made them permanent despite promises.
To ensure the resolution of their problems, the protesters have decided to regularly protest in front of the accountability court at the time of Nawaz’s appearance.
The teachers carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands.
Federal Directorate of Education’s daily wage teachers boycotted their respective schools and colleges against the non-payment of salary and non-regularisation of their services.
The ousted prime minister waved to the protesting teachers and went ahead as his personal security did not let the protesters come close.
Speaking to Pakistan Today, the protesting teachers complained that the previous government had regularised thousands of employees in different ministries from grade 1 to 19 under the same regularisation policy, but the policy did not include teachers.
They lamented that daily wage teachers are being paid less than an ordinary labourer, indicating the government’s indifferent attitude towards the education sector.
Nadeem Turi said that the government adopted a strange policy, as under the same policy of regularisation, contractual employees have been regularised in the Ministry of Federal Education, but he lamented that the teachers, on the other hand, are being treated unjustly.
He said that despite repeated assurances by the government, their services are not being regularised, which is beyond comprehension.
Owing to their continued protest and boycott of classes, the studies of their students have badly suffered and the students’ parents, too have threatened to protest if the matter isn’t resolved soon.
It may be noted that the daily wage teachers of the capital’s government-run schools have been on strike for around one month due to their salaries not being released for the past eight months and the non-regularisation of their services.
While the teachers accuse Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry of trying to hire his favourites in the federal capital’s schools, they vow to stage protests everywhere Dr Tariq would attend any functions or programs. They have said that all the teaching and non-teaching daily wage staffers would keep on protesting and boycotting classes until the acceptance of their demands.
