Protest for salaries: Teachers, students injured in baton-charge by police

ALPURI: Several students and teachers sustained injuries in the police baton-charge when they were holding a protest rally the release of their salaries pending for the last eight months in the Main Chowk here on Tuesday.

The protesting teachers and students, headed by president of second shift schoolteachers’ association Abdul Ali Khan, Framan Ali, Izzat Kamal, Abdullah, Wajid Ali and others, gathered at the Main Chowk and chanted slogans against authorities of Education Department and provincial government for not releasing their salaries for several months.

The protesters blocked the Alpuri-Bisham road, which caused great hardships to the motorists and passengers.Long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the road and passengers remained stranded for hours and they could reach their respective destinations due to blockade.

The teachers said that they were facing financial problems amid high inflation due to non-payment of salaries. They said the government should ensure early payment of their salaries. They also demanded payment of allowances the regular teachers of the morning classes were entitled to.

After the failure of talks with the representatives of protesters, a heavy contingent of police personnel stomped on the teachers and students and started baton-charging them. Several students and teachers sustained injuries during the operation by police.

A number of teachers were also put in the lock-up of Alpuri Police Station, however, they were later released on the intervention of local political leaders and officials.Meanwhile, an official of the district administration said that funds for the payment of pending salaries of second shift teachers would be released within two days.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Department had appointed the teachers under the double-shift school programme to ensure every child got education as most schools had been facing space issues and were overcrowded.