Islamabad-Police carried out baton charge yesterday on daily-wage teachers protesting for unpaid salaries and job regularisation in front of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).
Teaching and non-teaching staff of model schools and colleges have been staging protest since the beginning of this month as they have neither been paid salaries for the last four months not have they been regularised despite working for many years.
The Young Teachers Association (YTA) had announced the protest on non-implementation on their demands finalised last week in a meeting with Minister for Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD) Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.
Around 350 protestors with majority of women blocked the service road leading to Kashmir Highway for four hours to record their protest. However, when the protest prolonged, the administration ordered baton charge to disperse the crowd and vacate the road which was making inconvenience for the commuters.
Talking to The Nation, YTA leader Fahd Meraj said that teachers were protesting peacefully when police officials reached to arrest an YTA leader Ihsan Bangash. “Protestors resisted the arrest of their leader and police unleashed batons on them,” he said.
Meraj accused Director Federal Colleges Tariq Masood of having role in this action because he has failed to resolve the problems of the daily-wage employees.
Female representative of YTA Irum Abassi told The Nation that police arrested YTA leader by dragging him on road in front of all protestors and when female protesters resisted, police also manhandled them.
“Though female police were present but officials didn’t ask them and beat female teachers with batons,” said Irum.
According to her, female teachers fell on one another due to forceful thrust of police officials which also led suffocation.
“Worst misbehaviour was conducted by police officials with female teachers which also gave minor injuries to some protesters,” said Irum. However, she denied any claim of baton charge on female protestors.
Director Colleges FDE, Dr Tariq Masood while talking to The Nation said that he didn’t ask any authority to take such action. He said he was informed about the incident when he was in ministry to present the demands of teachers.
“I don’t know about the baton charge; however I was informed from my office that protestors moved towards the Kashmir Highway which resulted in this action by police,” said Dr Tariq. He also said, “We are trying to resolve the issues of daily-wage teachers on serious note.”
Meanwhile, Additional SHO police station Karachi Company Mohammad Riaz, talking to The Nation said that police came in action when protestors blocked the square leading to Kashmir Highway.
“It was unlawful act as they were allowed to protest only on service road,” said Riaz.
YTA representative Rooh-ul-Amin told The Nation that teachers were discussing their next step of action when police attacked them. He said that the protest will spread now and boycott of classes will continue until their demands are met.
“Our five colleagues have been arrested and female colleagues were misbehaved. This is what the government is doing with teachers,” said Amin.
Later on all the arrested teachers were released after the negotiations between protestors and police with the facilitation of a local politician.
Minister of State for CADD Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said in statement that bill regarding salary payment to daily-wage teachers has been sent to Auditor General Pakistan (AGP).
According to the statement, the ministry had made special arrangement for the release of 03 months’ salary to two thousand daily wages employees of model schools and colleges.