PESHAWAR: The teachers of state-run colleges took to the streets on Tuesday in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the provincial government for what they called using delaying tactics in awarding them promotions.

In Peshawar, the professors and lecturers gathered outside press club with banners and placards in their hands to demand acceptance of their demands. They were led by Pakhtunkhwa Professors and Lecturers Association (KPPLA) president Nasrullah Khan Yousufzai and senior vice president Hameed Afridi.

The protesting teachers threatened that they would convene meeting of action committee to chalk out future course of action if their demands were not met till November 17.

They said that professional allowance was awarded to doctors and teachers of universities across the province but lecturers and professors of government-run colleges were deprived of it.

The protesters said that Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) had not been issued for the biometric system because colleges were located in far-flung areas and it was impossible for them to follow the current biometric schedule. They said that college teachers would not follow the current biometric system until SOP was issued for it.

The protesters demanded of government to regularise the teaching assistants and ad-hoc lecturers and immediately give approval to seniority lists.

In Charsadda, teachers of different colleges stage a sit-in at Farooq Azam Chowk to demand upgradation and promotion. Teachers’ association provincial senior vice president Dr Saeed Sher, district president Mufti Mohammad Azam, Yar Mohammad Toofan, Mohammad Iftikhar, Sar Faraz Khan, Rabia Sikandar, Shaheen Salma, Hina and Nargas addressed the protesters.

In Lakki Marwat, the college teachers gathered outside the press club and asked the government to resolve their problems by accepting their demands.

The protesters were addressed by Abdul Qayum, Shabeer Hasan, Yousaf Khan, Ahmad Raza Zakori, Anwar Saleem and Fida Mohammad.

In Mardan, the teachers boycotted classes and took to the streets for fulfillment of their demands.

They were led Pakhtunkhwa College Teachers Association divisional president Prof Sartaj Safi. They said that their up-gradation was announced in 2006 but they were deprived of their right.

In Nowshera, the protesting teachers gathered outside press club and then marched through Shobra Chowk to the college.

They threatened to lock down colleges in the province if their demands were not met.

In Lower Dir, teachers boycotted classes and marched on the roads against the government for not awarding them one-step promotion and notifying professional allowance.

The protesting teachers marched from Timergara College to Shaheed Chowk. A protest rally was also held in Chakdara. They said that government was treating college teachers unfairly.

In Swabi, college teachers reached Karnal Sher Khan Chowk in a procession while holding placards and banners inscribed with different slogans in favour of their demands.

They said that government was forcing them to agitate by accepting their demands.

Published in Dawn November 16th, 2016