KP ad hoc teachers protesting outside Imran Khan's Bani Gala residence

 Hundreds of teachers are demanding regularization of their ad hoc service

Hundreds of ad hoc government teachers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have staged a sit-in outside PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence in Islamabad. Their negotiations with PTI leaders have failed and they announced to continue the protest and sit-in.  

The Ad hoc teachers, who were recruited four years ago on ad hoc basis, are demanding regularization and other benefits. The protesting teachers first held a demonstration at the Bani Gala Chowk and said that they wanted to communicate their demands to Imran Khan. After failed negotiations with the PTI leadership, they decided to march toward Khan’s Bani Gala residence.

Some baton-wielding members of the Insaf Student Federation, the student wing of the PTI, tried to stop the protesters from marching towards Khan’s house but failed. The teachers, who have been employed at various KP educational institutions on ad hoc basis, want to be treated in the same manner as the regular government employees.

Young Teacher Association President Attaur Rehman accused the PTI leaders shows no real interest in their demands. He said that PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry told the teachers to send their eight to ten representatives to meet PTI chairman and present their demands, but when they went to Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence no one met them.

He said the group waited for 2.5 hours, but not a single PTI leader met them, let alone Khan. “We received calls from Murad Saeed asking us to go back to Peshawar and [hold] protest there,” said Rehman. The teachers claimed that they have been terminated for protesting but they are determined to continue to protest till their demands are met and a notification is issued. They told the media that they come to Islamabad for protest because no one in Peshawar is listening to their demands. They also fear that KP police might arrest them.

This protest took place on the day when PTI has already announced to organise countrywide protest against price hike and rising inflation.

                                                               Rukhsana Manzoor deputy Editor