Govt employees, private school owners, teachers stage protest ahead of KP budget

PESHAWAR: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presented its second annual budget for 2020-21 amid protests by provincial government employees and private schools networks outside the Assembly premises on Friday.

Hundreds of teachers, owners and managements of private schools under the banner of Private Schools Education Network had gathered outside the provincial assembly ahead of the budget session, which began at 3pm. Led by Mohammad Salim Khan, Amjad Ali Shah, Syed Anas Takrim, Shaukat Mehmood, Faizullah Daudzai and others, the protestors demanded special package, salaries and other incentives for private school owners, teachers and other staff in the province. They claimed that their schools and colleges had been affected due to coronavirus and lockdown in the province. Though the protesters did not follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the provincial government against coronavirus, they remained peaceful and didn’t block the main road in front of the assembly premises. However, the police had blocked the main Jail Road for general traffic.

Speaking on the occasion, Faizullah Daudzai said that there were about 2.2 million students in different private schools across the province while hundreds of teachers had been working in these schools. “We are not only imparting education but also providing jobs to the educated people,” he said. He added that their schools had remained closed since March 13 due to coronavirus pandemic and lockdown in the province, leading to finance crisis. The speakers said that majority of the private schools were located in rented building and hence they were regularly paying heavy rents and other expenses. Due to the coronavirus threats, Faizullah Daudzai said the parents also did not pay monthly fees to the school management and most of the schools could not pay their teachers and other staff.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the Private Schools Association led by Mohammad Salim Khan called on Chief Minister Mahmood Khan at the Chief Minister’s House where provincial minister for Primary Education Akbar Ayub was also present. The chief minister formed a committee led by the minister Akbar Ayub to review the demands and problems of private schools network in the province and present its report to him within 10 days. Meanwhile,, All Pakistan Clerks Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, Pensioners, Class-4 Employees and Teachers also protested on the main road in front of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, demanding raise in their salaries and pensions in the annual budget for next financial year. A large contingent of Police was present to restrict the protestors to Sori Pul Chowk, where the protestors had gathered to highlight their demands. The police had also blocked the main Khyber Road and Jail Road for general traffic and erected checkpoints on the busy GT Road restrict the movement of protestors beyond certain points.