![protest rally held against winding up of internship programme protest rally held against winding up of internship programme](https://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/262864-protests-1317249932.jpg)
Over 60,000 graduates in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) including 3,100 students from Malakand Division have been left jobless after the National Internship Programme (NIP) was dissolved by the provincial government.
The graduates, who have been serving in various government departments for the last four to six months, held a protest in Mingora on Wednesday to condemn the provincial government’s decision.
They held placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the K-P government and claimed they had not been given their salaries despite performing their duties efficiently.
Under the programme, the graduates were appointed in different government departments and schools to provide financial relief to them. However, despite carrying out their duties with complete dedication, they have not been paid for their work.
“We have performed our duties for six months consecutively after being selected for the Special NIP Programme, but ever since the programme was handed over to the provincial government, we have not been paid,” said former intern Saeedur Rehman, adding that they will protest until they are paid.
“This is extremely unfair. The government took so much time in the selection process initially, and after being selected we performed our duties with commitment.
Yet we were not paid anything at all and every time we raised the issue, the department would say they had no funds.
Now the programme has been rolled back, leaving us completely helpless,” Zeba Khalid, another intern told The Express Tribune.
“The purpose of the NIP was to provide financial support to fresh graduates and enable them to pursue further education. However, due to the lack of interest shown by the government, the programme has discouraged people to take part in it, while we have completely lost confidence in the government,” said another intern, Jamroz Khan.
The students unanimously demanded that the government take immediate notice of the injustice.
When the concerned officer at the District Coordination Office was contacted, he said that the funds had been suspended by the Higher Education Commission, for which they had held meetings with the authorities. He assured that the graduates would be compensated as soon as the funds are released.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2011.
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