The peaceful protest turned into a battlefield when the protesting teachers tried to move towards the CM house
JACOBABAD: The use of force against government teachers who were peacefully protesting in Karachi recently is highly condemnable. The teachers were holding a demonstration for their rights when they were tear-gassed and baton-charged inhumanely as they gathered outside the Press Club. Such behaviour against teachers, who are the builders of the nation, is highly condemnable.
The peaceful protest turned into a battlefield when the protesting teachers tried to move towards the Chief Minister House. The police, in their bid to stop the teachers, carried out indiscriminate baton-charge and tear-gassing which resulted in many teachers being injured — and detained. They included female teachers as well.
In protest against the police action, government teachers across Sindh had boycotted classes on Friday, March 29th. They had already boycotted the matriculation exams which were scheduled to start from April 1 and had warned of further resistance if their demands were not met. In response, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had condemned the treatment meted out to the teachers and ordered release of those detained. The provincial education minister later proposed talks which led to the teachers calling off their protest on government assurances about acceptance of their demands.
Among the demands were a call for change in the management cadre to restrict the District Management Group (DMG) officers from being appointed in the Education Department, besides promotions to Grade 20 for those teachers who have served the country for over 20 years. While the demands have been accepted by the government, and the teachers have agreed to conduct the matriculation exams, the use of violence against those who are responsible for educating the country is unacceptable. Strict action should be taken against those responsible for ordering the use of force as this is no way of treating peaceful protestors, especially if they are teachers.
Rashid Talani, Lashkar Khan Talani
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2019.
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