TIMERGARA, July 25: Various teachers’ organisations in Lower Dir have called for an end to political interference in the district education department.

A group of teachers led by Tanzeem-i-Asateza and All Teachers Association, Lower Dir, officer-holders, including Mohammad Shah and Sadiq Jan, supported the DEO (male) Mohammad Ibrahim. Speaking at a press conference at Timergara press club the other day they said that the DEO had not been appointed by any political party, but restored to his post by the Peshawar High Court because he belonged to the management group.

They said that several science teachers had been working as assistant district officers (ADOs) in education department for last five years while their posts at schools were lying vacant.

They said that Tanzeem-i-Asateza wanted to separate male and female section of education and it would support the DEO (female). The organisation demanded of the government to send back all science teachers working at education offices to schools as majority of science teachers’ posts had been vacant and students were deprived of science education.

The other group of teachers led by Ittehad Asateza, Wahdat-i-Asateza, and Malgari Ustazan, Lower Dir, held a separate press conference where Aftab Alam of Senior Staff Association alleged that the DEO (male) was blackmailing the DEO (female) in order to force her to leave the district.

Several management cadre officers were also present on the occasion. Mohammad Iqbal of Malgari Ustazan and Mohammad Salim of the APCA alleged that the DEO (male) and MPAs belonging to Jamaat-i-Islami were politicising education in Lower Dir.

They demanded immediate transfer of the DEO (male) and end to political interference in education department. The group also demanded of the government to provide security to the DEO (female).