DEO fires, reinstates teachers, sparks uproar

PESHAWAR:

In a major administrative move, the District Education Officer (DEO) for male staff in North Waziristan — part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's merged districts — has terminated 56 primary school teachers for prolonged absenteeism.

The dismissal was made official through a formal notification issued by the DEO's office. Later, however, all of them were reinstated, sparking another controversy.

According to Additional Director Iqbal Khan, the DEO has no legal authority to reinstate the dismissed teachers. "If the officer withdraws the termination orders and reappoints the teachers, such a move would be deemed illegal," he clarified.

The incident unfolds in a region already struggling with access to quality education. In addition to the mass termination, the DEO has also halted two annual increments for 38 teachers and withheld one annual increment for another 53.