ABBOTTABAD: Hundreds of women teachers held a demonstration here on Tuesday to protest arrest of their two colleagues under Child Protection Act.

The call for the protest was give by District Primary Schools Teachers Association. The protesters marched from Government Comprehensive Girls High School Abbottabad and reached the office of deputy commissioner after passing through different roads.

Accompanied by their male colleagues, the protesting teachers were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans of “Give respect to teachers” and “Stop discrimination against teachers”.

The two teachers of Government Primary School Karimpura, Abbottabad were booked under Child Protection Act after a video went viral wherein they were seen thrashing a student. Both the teachers were not only suspended by education department but also handed over to police. They were produced before a judicial magistrate. The court initially accepted their bail application but later sent them to prison on judicial remand.

The teachers were granted bail on Friday after spending one night in Abbottabad jail when Mohammad Rafique, who reportedly lodged the FIR, reached a compromise with them. He told journalists that he had no enmity with the teachers and local police asked him for registering of FIR.

Interestingly, four inquiry committees were formed separately by education secretary, education director, deputy commissioner and district education officer to probe the matter.

The protesters expressed concerns over the incident and demanded judicial inquiry into the matter. They sought action under cyber crime law against those people, who made videos of girl schools.

They also demanded action against police, saying FIR was registered against the teachers without investigation. They threatened to boycott classes if government failed to provide protection to them.

Azizullah Khan, the provincial president of Primary Teachers Association, in a statement criticised action against the women teachers and demanded immediate arrest of those people, who made video of the girls’ school. He said that they would go on complete strike and lock down schools in the entire province if their demand was not accepted.

He said that the women teachers were called by education department and handed over to police.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2019