PESHAWAR, May 21: Speakers at a seminar here urged the government to do away with the policy of contract employment in the health and education sectors, and establish medical and women universities in the NWFP.

The one-day seminar entitled “Why the Privatisation of Health and Education?” was arranged by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) — a body established to campaign against the Model Universities Ordinance — at the Peshawar Press Club here Wednesday.

President of the NWFP chapter of JAC, Arbab Khan Afridi, said the teachers community would never accept the Model Universities Ordinance (MUO), because it was aimed at snatching the right of education from students.

In case the ordinance was implemented, non-academicians would take over charge of the educational institutions, he said.

He demanded immediate end to the practice of contract employment and self-finance scheme in the health and education departments.

He also opposed the autonomy granted to the teaching hospitals, and said the patients must be provided free treatment.

People’s Party Parliamentarian MPA Abdul Akbar Khan said the military government was responsible for multiplying these problems. Now that parliament was in place, it should debate these issues.

“The NWFP, being the poorest among all the federating units, should be treated at par with other provinces, and the federal government must stop the step-motherly treatment with it,” he said.

Khairullah Khairkhwa, President of the NWFP Teachers Association, said the teachers were being given only Rs210 as medical allowance per month, while the advance increments and move-overs to next grades had been stopped.

“The government had enough funds to raise the salaries of the president, prime minister, ministers and MPAs, but not for the teachers,” said Mr Khairkhwa.

According to him 800,000 teachers would hold a protest demonstration in front of Parliament House, Islamabad, on June 4 to press for acceptance of their demands.

MMA’s MPA Rehmatullah Khalil said he would debate the problems of teachers and doctors at the floor of the assembly and assured the two communities that justice will be done to them.