ISLAMABAD - More than two months have passed since the Senate had passed the Islamabad Wedlock Teachers’ Bill for their permanent absorption in FDE schools, but the bill is yet to see the light of the day as it is yet to be sent to the Aiwan-e-Sadr for President’s signature.
“This is quite irritating that at a time when a number of bills passed by the National Assembly and the Senate have been signed by the President, a simple bill related to the ‘welfare and protection of family life’ of 300 teachers on deputation passed by the both the Houses is not yet signed by the President,” said one of the lady teachers under wedlock.
Earlier, the PM Office had sent the bill to the Ministry of Law for comment despite knowing that a bill is usually sent to the Law Ministry for comment before its passage, not afterwards. This delayed the bill and finally, the Law Ministry returned it to the PM Office with the observation that the bill was ‘fine’ and since both the houses of the Parliament had unanimously passed it there was no need for the Ministry’s comment.
Despite the Law Ministry’s clear observation the bill was not routed to the President House. Meanwhile, the Caretaker Prime Minister left for the UNO. Now even more than a week after Prime Minister’s return, the bill has not yet been sent to the President House and the teachers, mostly lady teachers working for years in Islamabad’s schools on wedlock are keenly awaiting when it would finally be sent to the President House as it is directly linked with their family life and future of their kids.
According to an official in the PM Office, the Prime Minister is not aware of this matter. Had the PM or even education minister any knowledge of this unnecessary delay they would have taken serious action against those responsible, said the source.
The “Protection of Family Life & Wedlock Bill 2023” is related to the life of 300 lady teachers in various schools of FDE.
These teachers have been running from pillar to post pleading with every government not to repatriate them to their parent departments as their families are settled here in Islamabad and going back to their native towns would mean a complete breakdown of their family life.