RAWALPINDI, Dec 14: The Punjab Teachers Union (Rawalpindi chapter) has termed the recent transfers of teachers as unjustified, and warned of launching a movement if these are not reviewed.

The executive district officer, Education, ordered the transfers of more than 100 teachers to schools in Murree, Taxila and Kahuta.

The union leaders from both groups, Abbasi Group and Pasha Group, held a meeting in which they unanimously decided that all teachers would fasten black straps around their arms after Eid holidays, i.e. December 26 to January 5, 2002, as a mark of protest. If the transfers are still not cancelled, the teachers will start a one-hour class boycott from January 5 to 15. In case this also falls on deaf ears, a complete boycott of classes will be launched after January 15, 2002.

When asked why the transfers were being opposed when they have been a routine matter in government departments, the PTU president, Rawalpindi district, Imtiaz Abbasi, said these were totally unjustified as no proper procedure was followed and the teachers’ interests ignored. Teachers are low-paid employees and they should be employed in their home tehsil, he said.

Mr Abbasi said most of these teachers had been transferred to Murree where schools were going to close for a three-month winter vacation from December 15. Hence there will be no need for these teachers in these schools during the winter break, he said.

A crisis-like situation has developed in the schools in Rawalpindi because of the teachers’ shortage.

“What was the need of transferring these teachers under such a situation,” he added.

About 60 per cent of the teaching staff in Rawalpindi tehsil are from Murree, and they have repeatedly been requesting the education authorities for transfer to their home tehsil, but, instead those teachers, who belonged to Rawalpindi, were transferred, he added.

Another union leader alleged that the transfers were made under pressure from Naib Nazims of Murree tehsil. They had demanded of the Punjab governor to fill the vacant posts of teachers in schools in Murree tehsil, but, due to ban on fresh recruitment, these transfers were made just to appease the public representatives, Mr Abbasi said.