DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The women teachers on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration here on Tuesday against what they called forced duty in the anti-polio campaign in the district.

Carrying placards and banners inscribed with different slogans, the protesting teachers condemned the district administration for forcing women teachers to perform duty in the anti-polio drive.

The education department has suspended 15 women teachers over their refusal to perform duty in the anti-polio campaign in the district. The administration has devised a plan to administer anti-polio drops to around 270,000 children under five-year age in the district.

The protesters also criticised the government for what they called unjustified and illegal suspension of their colleagues. They demanded of the authorities to withdraw the suspension order of women teachers forthwith and let them perform their duty at their respective educational institutions.

Ask authorities to withdraw suspension order of their 15 colleagues

The teachers association has also condemned suspension of women teachers and urged the authorities concerned to withdraw the order.

The protesters said that women teachers were afraid to perform duty in the anti-polio drive and visit remote villages in the district where law and order situation was not so good.

The commuters and motorists also faced hardships as the protesters blocked the GPO Square and blocked the three arteries, leading to the city, to all kinds of vehicular traffic. However, the protesting teachers dispersed peacefully and opened the roads to traffic when SHO of Cantonment police station reached there and held successful negotiations with them.

The education department has deputed a total of 256 teachers, including 122 women, for performing duty in the current anti-polio campaign but majority of the women teachers did not turn up for the duty.

CONFERENCE: Speakers at a conference here on Tuesday urged the religious scholars to play their role in maintaining peace in the society.

The conference was organised by the district administration to highlight the message of the last sermon of Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) for ensuring peace.

Commissioner Mohammad Mushtaq Jadoon, who was chief guest on the occasion, told the participants of the conference that ulema were considered opinion makers in the society. They could play vital role in spreading the message of the sermon trough delivering speeches in mosques and religious schools to discourage extremism and sectarianism in the society, he added.The commissioner said that people at the helm of affairs were not able to implement the principles of ethics and morality, which had been enshrined in the last sermon of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

That’s why the society was grappling with several evils including disunity and violation of human rights, the official said. He said that last sermon emphasised brotherhood in society and provided a social setup, which had no room for oppression and injustice.

Speaking on the occasion, the religious scholars belonging to Dera Ismail Khan and Tank said that they already highlighted the message of last sermon of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). They said that Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a role model for the whole mankind and even today his teachings provided a solution to all challenges and issues.

Besides Deputy Commissioner Waqar Ali Khan and District Police Officer (DPO) Sadiq Hussain Baloch, other senior officials of the administration were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2014