Blame game: Teachers protest against clerks association president

Say he threatened a female officer in Mardan.

MARDAN:

Hundreds of teachers protested against the president of the All Pakistan Clerk Association (APCA) for his alleged ‘inappropriate attitude’ towards a woman EDO on Thursday.

The protesters, led by Mardan Association Headmaster Chairman Hafiz Zubair, gathered at College Chowk at 11am and blocked the road. They shouted slogans against APCA president Aurangzeb Kashmiri for allegedly threatening EDO Zuhra Akhundzada inside her office.

Zubair, while addressing the protesters, said Kashmiri pointed a gun at Akhundzada in her office. He added they have filed an FIR, but Kashmiri was not arrested. “If an inquiry is not launched against Kashmiri, we will shut down all girls schools in the district.”

Hundreds of passengers remained stranded in their vehicles due to the road block at the main square of Mardan city. Demonstrators dispersed after 1pm.

The APCA president held a press conference in the Mardan Press Club at the same time. Speaking to journalists, he said he did not threaten the EDO nor was his attitude inappropriate. “I don’t believe in violence against women,” he said, claiming the EDO was being forced by some officials in the education department to testify against him.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2014.