HARIPUR: Clerks at the offices of the district education officers (male) and (female) on Tuesday observed a token strike against their “harassment” by a relative of local MPA Malik Adeel Iqbal.

In a statement issued here, the local chapter of the All Pakistan Clerks Association insisted that Tariq Chaman, a cousin of lawmaker Malik Iqbal, visited the office of the district officer education (male) and asked members of the clerical staff for the “illegal” transfer of teachers, but they refused to do so, enraging the visitor, who harassed them and used abusive language against them.

It added that clerks at the offices of DOE (male) and (female) boycotted their work, locked offices, and held a meeting, which was chaired by the district president of the APCA Education Wing.

The participants demanded a ban on the entry of the MPA’s cousin to the premises of the education department.

They warned that if the demand wasn’t met, clerks would expand their protest to other districts.

When contacted, Mr Chaman rejected the APCA’s statement. He insisted that he went to the DEO’s office to tell staff members on behalf of MPA Malik Iqbal that teachers should neither be transferred under “political influence” nor should they be made to pay bribes for their work.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2024