Teachers vow to move court against amends to law

MANSEHRA: The All Primary Teachers Association on Monday decided to challenge amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Servants Appointment, Promotion and Transfer Rules 1989 in Peshawar High Court.

“The government in its recent amendment deleted section (5) of 7 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Servants Appointment, Promotion and Transfer Rules 1989 to deprive them of their right to refuse promotions, which we are going to challenge in the court of law,” Ehtesham Allai, the president of the association told a meeting attended by teachers from across the district.

He said that in the past the public servants could refuse promotion and stay at their posting places.“But now the provincial government, through an amendment, denied us this right. We would first take up this matter with the director of the Education Department. We will move the court if the issue is not settled,” Ehtesham said.

The president of the APTA said that in the past teachers, and even employees of other public

sector departments could refuse promotions citing personal and family reasons, but since the deletion of the section concerned in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Servants Appointment, Promotion and Transfer Rules 1989, they couldn’t do so.

“Amendment or deletion of this section is surprising for us as teachers are promoted from the Basic Pay Scale 15 to the same scale and transferred to far-flung areas without any financial and other incentives,” Ehtesham elaborated.