PESHAWAR: Teachers of government schools on Tuesday staged protest demonstrations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the assassination of district education officer of Kolai-Palas Kohistan, Nawab Ali Khan.

The teachers demanded of the government to immediately arrest the killers and award them exemplary punishment. The protest call was given by the teachers’ associations.

DEO Nawab Ali was assassinated on Saturday by unknown persons inside his office.

Seek early arrest of culprits, award of exemplary punishment to them

As per the decision of the teachers associations, the schools were closed at 11am, and teachers assembled outside the press clubs in their respective districts to demonstrate against the official’s assassination.

Teachers from Peshawar demonstrated outside the press club, led by teachers’ association president Riaz Bahar and general secretary Samiullah Khalil.

Education department clerks and Class-IV employees also participated in the demonstration. They were holding banners and placards, inscribed with demands for arrest of the killers.

Addressing the protest, Samiullah Khalil said the assassinated DEO was an honest teacher who always upheld merit. Being an officer while serving in the administration, he said, Nawab Ali never compromised on rules and laws. He demanded of the government to give martyred package to the DEO’s family.

Secretary elementary and secondary education Arshed Khan also participated in the teachers protest, and promised that the provincial government would make all-out efforts to arrest the killers as early as possible.

In Mansehra, the teachers took out a rally and threatened to boycott classes if police failed to arrest the culprits involved in the killing of DEO Kolai-Palas within next three days.

“We want immediate arrest of the killers of Nawab Ali and if police fail to arrest them we will boycott classes for an indefinite period,” Shahzada Khan, president of the officers’ association, told the protesting teachers outside the press club.

In Shangla, teachers of private and government educational institutions observed black day on Tuesday, and blocked the Karakoram Highway for four hours to condemn the murder of district education officer Kolai-Palas.

A core committee of teachers formed after the murder of DEO Nawab Ali had given call for the black day.

Due to blockade of the KKH hundreds of motorists remained stuck in traffic.

In Swabi, the Education Coordination Council comprising all unions of teachers, staged a demonstration and demanded immediate arrest of the killers of district education officer Nawab Ali.

The protesters then marched to the Karnal Sher Khan Chowk, chanting slogans against the killers.

During the protest, the Swabi-Jahangira, Swabi-Mardan, Swabi-Topi and Swabi-Maneri roads remained blocked.

In Upper Dir, the teachers gave a week’s deadline to the authorities for arrest of the killers of district education officer, or they would close all schools. They gave the deadline during a protest demonstration held outside the education office.

In Lower Dir, the schools’ officers association staged a protest rally against the killing of Kolai-Palas district education officer.

Led by DEO Ghulam Nabi Khan the schools’ officers and representatives of teachers’ organisations gathered outside the Timergara Press Club and chanted slogans against the killing of Nawab Ali.

On the occasion, DEO Ghulam Nabi said the incident had spread panic and unrest among education officers throughout the province. He demanded of the government to arrest the killers and award them exemplary punishment.

In Lakki Marwat, the district chapter of school officers association held a protest demonstration in Lakki city to protest the killing of the district education officer of Kolai-Palas.

The participants marched on the Old Kutchery Road and converged in front of the press club.

The speakers condemned the murder of Nawab Ali and asked the government to direct police to arrest the killers without delay.

The teachers’ leaders also demanded Shuhada package for the heirs of the slain district education officer.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2019