Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Thursday decided to regularise the services of 21,000 teachers that have appeared in NTS exams as well as tests held at Sindh University and Iqra University.

The CM made the decision in a meeting with representatives of the Teachers’ Association that was held in an effort to placate the teachers that have been protesting the non-regularisation of their posts for over a fortnight.

Just like their protesting brethren, the representatives of the teachers' body demanded that those who have qualified through tests taken at the universities should be regularised along with teachers that took the NTS exams.

As a result of the meeting, the provincial Education Department was ordered to regularise teachers that have taken the tests at the two universities, while also regularising teachers that hold NTS contracts, without the fulfilment of any additional conditions.

“As far as NTS-pass contract teachers’ regularisation is concerned, it has been approved by the cabinet,” the CM said during the meeting.

During the meeting, the teachers' body told the chief minister that almost 12,000 teachers who were appointed in 1992 at the grade B-17 level have been denied a time scale.

Upon hearing this, the chief minister directed the secretary education and secretary finance to resolve the issue within 24 hours and send him a summary for approval.

The teachers said that the salaries of NTS teachers working in Karachi had been stopped. The chief minister directed the secretary education to release the salaries of NTS contract teachers in the city.

The chief minister said that he was ready to resolve all the issues of the teachers' issues as long as they support him in improving the standard of education in the province.

Earlier in the day, a larger number of teachers arrived at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) and tried to move towards the CM House, police already deployed on the surrounding roads baton-charged them and used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them, badly injuring some of them. Some of the teachers were also arrested by the police.

CM Shah also took notice of these arrests and directed Sindh Home Minister Sohial Siyal to have them released. He also asked Siyal to give him a detailed report about the police action taken against the arrested teachers.

"Teachers are the most respected people in any society and their humiliation will not be allowed at any cost," CM Shah said.

While briefing the media after the meeting, the chief minister said that he had accepted all the demands made by the teachers' body, and in principle all the protests being held by teachers should now end.

PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari also took notice of the teachers that were arrested at the KPC and asked Siyal to ensure their swift release and said, "We are democratic people and always prefer to resolve issues through dialogue."