QUETTA: The Balochistan Education Department has suspended 260 teachers for not performing their duties in different districts of the province.

Secretary Education Balochistan, Ghullam Ali Baloch told Dawn.com on Friday that the suspended teachers belong to Dera Bugti, Loralai and Pishin districts of the province.

"160 teachers from Loralai district have been suspended," Baloch said.

He said the teachers remained absent from their duties for last few months and despite repeated warnings they were not coming to their schools to teach the students.

"We have decided to ensure presence of teachers in government-run schools," Baloch said.

Balochistan is legging behind other provinces in terms of key social indicators and education is one of them.

According to the Balochistan Education Department, there are more than 5000 ghost teachers and more than 3000 ghost schools across the province.

"Our main effort is to remove concept of ghost teachers, once and for all," Ghullam Ali Baloch stated.

He said most of the government-run schools were closed in the aftermath of unrest in Balochistan's troubled Dera Bugti district.

The education department has put the female education ratio in Dera Bugti at only two per cent two years back.

For the first time, the nationalist-led government in Balochistan has substantially increased the education budget.

Chief Minister Balochistan Dr. Malik Baloch's government allocated 24 per cent of the budget for salaries and development of education sector in the province.

Balochistan has been plagued by terrorism for more than a decade.