Protest forces closure of public schools across Pindi

Staff, teachers set off for Lahore to stage sit-in outside CM Office

RAWALPINDI:

The government employees, including teachers, and clerical and non-teaching staff, observed a complete strike across all public schools and departments in the entire district on Tuesday.

Days after boycotting official activities across the Rawalpindi division, the government employees had decided to stage a protest sit-in outside the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office in Lahore in response to the privatisation of government schools, amendments to pension regulations, and the issue of leave encashment.

As the employees set off for Lahore to stage an indefinite sit-in, the teaching system in all government schools as well as the day-to-day affairs in all 30 public departments are likely to remain completely suspended from October 10 [Tuesday] till 14 [Saturday].

The protesters left for the provincial capital at 7am through private vehicles, wagons, buses and trains, while the banners and placards inscribed with the slogans boycotting the teaching system were put up at the main entrances of all government schools.

Vacations were announced in all government schools in the early hours of Tuesday which sent a wave of happiness among the students. When students came to school early in the morning, they were sent back to their homes without classes.

The teachers and clerks announced that they were going to participate in the Lahore sit-in in support of their demands, so the teaching system across all public schools will remain suspended until their return.

Meanwhile, in other government institutions including the offices of the commissioner, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, municipalities, district council, health, education, social welfare and excise departments, the routine affairs also came to a halt due to the strike. As a result, the official files started piling up in all the offices.

Addressing the protest caravan at the time of departure from Rawalpindi to Lahore, teachers’ leaders Akhian Gul, Raja Tahir Mahmood and Muhammad Shafiq Bhalwalia said the protest sit-in is for an indefinite period. “The protest will continue until all three demands are accepted. The sit-in will continue for the entire day and night and the protesters will have to eat, drink and sleep there,” they said.

On the other hand, the leaders of All Pakistan Clerks Association, Shahzad Manzoor Kayani, Chaudhary Mubasher and Raja Aftab said: “We will return after the approval of our demands. The strike and sit-in will continue until the demands are accepted.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2023.