Teachers call off sit-in after negotiations

Islamabad : The protesting teachers of the Basic Education and Community Schools on Thursday agreed to call off the sit-in at D Chowk here after their leaders held successful talks with the officials of the federal education and professional training ministry led by secretary Arshad Mirza.

The dialogue took place on the instructions of federal education and professional training minister Shafqat Mahmood.

The BECS teachers both men and women had held a sit-in at D Chowk for several weeks to protest non-payment of salary and claim service regularisation.

The negotiations between the ministry Officials and the teachers’ representatives were fruitful as the latter promised to immediately call off the sit-in in the presence of the Islamabad Capital Territory's administration.

The development comes as the leaders of protesting BECS teachers was given a written assurance by the ministry officials that none of them would be removed arbitrarily and that the ministry would expedite the payment of dues.

The officials also assured the protesters in writing that they and other BECS teachers would be considered for service regularisation.

They, however, made no promise in that respect.

The officials said BECS teachers were hired under a project and every year their contract was extended by the ministry. On Wednesday, the teachers marched to the parliament house but were stopped by the administration ahead of it.

The police pushed them away and held some of them. They were freed later but the administration didn’t allow them to take their protest to the parliament house.