National Savings Centre staffers lock branches, observe strike in Multan

MULTAN: On the call of the Pakistan National Savings Employees Union, staffers locked branches and staged a demonstration to press their demands here on Monday.

They also staged a sit-in in front of the branches in protest. Thousands of clients of the National Savings, including senior citizens, widows and orphans, faced difficulties as the staffers did not entertain the visitors.

The Pakistan National Savings Employees Union had called a shutdown protest against their low salaries. The protestors led by NSEU divisional president Hanif Tabbasum demanded the government appoint staff on vacant posts to avoid overburdening on the employees.

The protestors also announced that the offices would remain close in protest on Tuesday (today). The other leaders of the union, including Ghulam Hussain Ansari, Muhammad Ajmal, Muhammad Kashif, Muhammad Shakir Hussein, Rauf Ahmed, Muhammad Qasim, Rana Mohsin Ali, Mohsin Raza, Asad Nawaz, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Asim, Muhammad Sheraz Kalim, Muhammad Saqib, Mulazim Hussain, Shahid Abbas, Nasir Mehmood Malik and Fida Hussain, demanded the government increase their salaries immediately.

National Curriculum Conference: South Punjab Education Secretary Dr Ehtesham Anwar has said that the curriculum is the backbone of the educational process as it determines the goals and paths of development of the nation.

He said this while addressing a workshop held for officers at the Quaid-e-Azam Academy here on Monday. The workshop was attended by officials and experts from South Punjab. Dr Ehtesham Anwar said that suggestions for change and improvement in the curriculum were vital. He told that the South Punjab officials would represent the region in the National Curriculum Conference.

He said that education had been an important issue since the establishment of Pakistan and it was for the first time in history that the government was going to create a syllabus for all sections which would end social segregation.

Curriculum Pakistan Director Rafiq Tahir in his address said that the importance of curriculum could not be ignored. He informed that the government was going to introduce the same curriculum all over the country.

He said that the pre-Pakistan education system was now being changed under one syllabus which would eliminate disparities. He said that the new curriculum would highlight the children’s creative activities.

The quality education was the top priority while curriculum, textbooks, teacher training and assessment framework would be given importance, he added.