Fata teachers vow to continue protest

GHALLANAI: Members of the All Teachers Association on Thursday said that schools in Fata would remain closed till the acceptance of their demand of upgrading their pay scale by the government.

Speaking at a press conference at the Mohmand Press Club, Mujahid Khan, Abdul Hadi, Bashir Gul and others said the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) and Fata Secretariat were responsible for the miseries of the community.

They said that four months back the government had asked the Fata teachers to call off their sit-in and had assured upgrading their pay scale, adding, the pledge had not been materialised.

They vowed to continue the protest till acceptance of their demand. The teachers’ leaders said that the federal government was not serious in improving the literacy rate in Fata. “The government is not even serious in defeating terrorism and extremism. If it was serious it would have taken concrete steps for improving education standards,” one of the speakers said. 

They said that provision of facilities to the tribespeople was not the priority of the government and the discriminatory approach towards the education sector shows lack of interest by the government.

The teachers’ leaders said that they were aware of negative effects of their protest on the students’ education. “We have no other option but to launch protest drive,” said Mujahid Khan.  They said that meeting would be organised at the agency headquarters of every agency to discuss their future line of action.