January 26, 2008	Saturday	Muharram 16, 1429

QUETTA, Jan 25: The Baloch-istan Education Department has made a number of transfers in different districts of the province despite a countrywide ban imposed by the Election Commission.

“More than 20 teachers including two executive education officers have been transferred in violation of the clear instruction of the Election Commission of Pakistan,” sources in the Education Department told Dawn on Friday.

“Most of the transfers have been made in Kalat, Sherani, Quetta, Pishin and Killa Saifullah districts of Balochistan,” the sources said. In some districts, they said, teachers have been transferred but in Kalat and Sherani districts education officers had been transferred.

Transfers in education department have been made amid growing concern among opposition parties about an alleged plan for pre-polls rigging by pro-government political groups.

However, the caretaker Balochistan Education Minister Amjad Rashid told Dawn that the Election Commission, chief minister and he himself had issued strict instructions to all quarters concerned not to make any transfers.—Staff Correspondent