MANSEHRA: All Teachers Association, Mansehra chapter, has threatened to go on strike if the 67 female teachers terminated from service on various charges are not reinstated on their posts.

Taking disciplinary action, the district education officer (female) had sacked these female teachers the other day on various grounds. The warning came during a meeting of the association which was also attended by the sacked female teachers. Khalid Zaman, provincial senior vice-president of ATA, chaired the meeting.

“We have made it clear to the high-ups in the education department that the female teachers were sacked without any solid reasons and if their services are not restored immediately we would widen our protest to the entire province,” Mr Zaman warned.

He said that the teachers would also attend the protest in Peshawar on March 25 and demand restoration of these teachers. He said that the chief minister should take notice of the matter.

Latif Khan Swati, general secretary of the association, said that the teachers were terminated without any prior notice. He claimed that list of the sacked teachers was prepared during the tenure of the previous district education officer (female) without fulfilling legal requirements.

The affected teachers complained that their services were terminated without show-cause notices. “We would also move the court for justice,” said Bushra Bibi. Munza Abbasi said that if the secretary and director education didn’t take notice of their termination they would stage protests and also move the court.

Attiya Bibi alleged that they were expelled by those who wanted to hide their corruption and misdeeds. She said that they had been performing duties in remote areas of the district and would never accept such illegal action against them.

MAN KILLED: A man was killed and another five persons sustained critical injuries when a passenger jeep plunged into a deep ravine in Shadigandou area of Torghar on Saturday night.

The jeep was on its way to Judbah when the driver lost its control at a sharp turn. The local people later pulled the injured and the body of driver, identified as Bakhtajullah, and took them to the civil hospital, Judbah, where doctors were not present on the duty.

The family members and local people also started protest after seeing that staff was absent from duty.

The protesters raised slogans against the government and demanded action against the absent staff.

A resident, Zahid Khan, told media persons that some posts of doctors and other staff were lying vacant since long, while the staff posted here were absent from duty.

Published in Dawn March 16th , 2015

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