SHANGLA: The police on Tuesday baton-charged second-shift teachers, who had blocked the Bisham-Swat Road at the Alpuri Chowk, demanding payment of their salary pending for nine months.

On the call of second-shift teachers’ association, Shangla, teachers from across the district gathered in the district headquarters, carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands.

Abdali Khan, the association’s president, political activists and others spoke on the occasion, blasting the government for withholding salary of teachers for such a long time amid record high inflation.

Abdali Khan said the teachers had been demanding payment of their pending salary, but the government made only false promises, forcing them to come onto the roads.

“We were holding negotiations with the assistant commissioner, Alpuri, when the police baton-charged the protesting teachers, injured some of them,” he claimed, saying some of the teachers were arrested, who were later released on their request to the deputy commissioner.

Farman Ali, a teacher, said a total of 427 second-shift teachers had been suffering due to financial constraints because of non-payment of salary.

The teachers said they would boycott of classes and launch a full-fledged movement in the province if their salary was not released without delay.

Umar Rehman, a police spokesman, told Dawn on contact that the police had only asked the protesters to open the road, which they had blocked for four hours, causing problems for commuters, particularly patients.

He denied baton-charging and arresting the teachers.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2023