Upgradation : Teachers’ woes resolved on PM’s directive

No official notification has been issued, says association president.

PESHAWAR: The long-standing issue involving the upgradation of teachers in the tribal belt has been resolved on the prime minister’s directives. However, an official notification has yet to be issued.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued directives after Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra raised the matter at the federal level. As a result, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar agreed to upgrade the status of teachers which will benefit over 20,000 teachers all over Fata.

According to a handout issued on Wednesday, Jhagra had held meetings with the finance minister and minister for Ministry of State and Frontier Regions (Safron) and informed them about the importance and sensitivity of the matter.

As per the document, the governor said efforts to provide better opportunities to students in the tribal belt and to improve education sector in tribal region were under way.

He said education was given top most priority and added education emergency in tribal areas was already announced.

He urged teachers to play their role for the betterment of the education sector and assured them all available resources would be utilised for this purpose.

However, according to FATA Teachers Association President Ali Marjan, no notification from the federal government has been received yet.

“They assured us that the matter will be resolved within two days and so far we have not received any notification,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2016.