Fifth day: Teachers continue sit-in, demanding release of salaries

Education dept officials cite 'massive discrepancies in appointment process' as reason for salary halt

KARACHI: Around 70 teachers continued for the fifth day their sit-in against stoppage of their salaries for the last two years in front of Karachi Press Club on Thursday.

However, no government official or elected representative bothered to hear their grievances.

"I received my appointment order in 2012 and received around 16 months' salaries in my account. But suddenly the salary stopped coming," said primary schoolteacher Mohammad Haroon Soomro.

Haroon, who hails from Thorhi Bijar village in Kamber district, said that despite repeated visits of teachers to the treasury department, the officials have yet to give a reason for stopping our salaries. "We have approached the treasury department that opened our accounts and released the salaries for many months, but all officials are now mum," he said, adding that so far, no one has given them a written order or notice to stop their salaries.

Officials in the education department said that the salaries of more than 400 teachers have been stopped through verbal orders following massive discrepancies in the appointment process initiated from 2012 to 2013. "Inquiries are under way and the government will not release the salaries of those who have gotten fake orders with the help of treasury and education officers," said an additional secretary in the education department.



The teachers, who are on strike, have received their appointment orders in different periods, including 1996, 2008, 2001 and 2012-2013. They had paid money, ranging from Rs0.4million to Rs0.6million depending on personal influence and negotiation with local agents, to secure jobs in the education department.

Since government jobs on merit have become extinct, everyone follows the trend of getting an appointment order under a deal with local agents, said primary schoolteacher Nazir Chandio. "I sold my land and paid around Rs0.4million to get a job. We had no other option. What can I do when no one is looking after merit?" questioned Chandio.

They gave me the order under an oath ensuring that nothing will happen, he said, adding that he used to get salaries in his bank account from the treasury department and that he has all the relevant records.

The orders were given to people through joint efforts by elected representatives of the area and relevant education officers of the districts, revealed a teacher requesting anonymity. "The then district education officer got the money and shared the amount with treasury officers who released the salaries," he said. "These people had no idea that their salaries will be stopped."

Azizullah Magsi, who has been teaching for four years and used to receive salaries on time, said that they are not at fault. "The government should hold those education officers accountable who got the money and issued the orders," he said. "We are still ready to appear in the exam or any commission test for teachers' appointment."

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2016.