Music teachers turn protest into street concert outside KPC

The usually bustling streets outside the Karachi Press Club echoed on Tuesday with the sound of harmoniums, dholkis, and folk chants as dozens of music teachers from across Sindh staged a unique protest against the government's failure to issue their joining orders.

Led by the All Sindh Music Teachers Association, the demonstrators transformed their sit-in into a street concert, singing traditional kalams and playing instruments to highlight their demands. The protest quickly turned tense when police resorted to baton charge to stop the crowd from marching toward the Sindh Assembly. Blocked at Sarwar Shaheed Road near Coast Guard, the protesters staged a sit-in on the main thoroughfare, triggering a crippling traffic jam and leaving commuters stranded for hours.

The protesting candidates said they had cleared the IBA recruitment test for music teachers two years ago and even received offer letters, but joining orders were never issued. "We passed the test, we sold our instruments and jewelry to pursue this profession, we completed music courses and certificates — yet the government continues to deny us our rightful jobs," lamented the demonstrators.

Among the crowd were well-known Sindhi folk artists, including Ustad Muhammad Hanif Lashari and Sindhi Adabi Sangat leader Asghar Baghi, who joined the protest in solidarity. Lashari told reporters, "For two years, these young musicians have been waiting despite passing their exams and receiving offer letters. By ignoring them, the government is not just playing with their future, but also with the future of Sindh's musical heritage."

The sit-in drew teachers and successful candidates from across Sindh, including Karachi, Hyderabad, and Ghotki.

Leaders of the All Sindh Music Teachers Action Committee reminded the media that the Education Department had conducted recruitment tests in 2023 for 750 posts, where 319 candidates were declared successful. Then-education minister Sardar Ali Shah had even personally distributed offer letters at the ACP, Karachi, followed by medical and police verifications. Yet, two years later, the teachers remain in limbo.