ISLAMABAD               -               Dozens of employees of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) on Friday observed pen down strike for few hours after the difference emerged with top management on extending the working hours.

FDE is regulating nearly 423 public sector schools and colleges of the city and annual examinations are going to start soon. FDE is also functional without permanent head since 2016.

A large number of employees on confrontation with acting DG Umair Javed suspended all administrative work, while the acting DG also called police for maintaining law and order situation.

An employee of the FDE has also filed a writ petition on appointment of acting DG and there was already friction between top management and employees of the department.

Employees started protest on Thursday, however, it went strong yesterday after the employees halted all administrative work and dropped their pen.  The employees on protest gathered in the department and also locked their rooms which further increased the tension.

The employees leaving the work delivered speeches alleging that the senior management was responsible for the pen down strike. They also said that they will keep their resistance against the discrimination being carried by the senior management.

They also said that the senior management forcefully stopped them in offices for nearly four hours illegally also alleging that the top administration was involved in tempering of the documents. They alleged that the acting DG was taking revenge from the employees for resisting illegal work. 

Spokesperson FDE Saqib Shahab said that employees were stopped in the department on Thursday to complete the official task and all officers also remained in office along with employees.  Calling of police in FDE spread panic among rest of the employees who abstained from the strike. However, no employee was taken in custody by the police.