PESHAWAR: The government employees continued their strike on Tuesday for the second consecutive day, bringing the entire government machinery at the civil secretariat here along with attached departments and directorates across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to a standstill.
They observed a strike against the storming of the education secretary’s office by special assistant to the chief minister on relief Naik Mohammad along with armed men.
Besides staging a daylong sit-in outside the elementary and secondary education department at the civil secretariat, the employees also demonstrated demanding the immediate removal of aide to the CM Naik Mohammad and registration of an FIR against him.
Following the directives of elementary and secondary education department (ESED) secretary Mohammad Khalid, the employees of the education department’s attached formations worked from home.
The attached formations of the education department including provincial directorate and district education offices wore a deserted look due to physical absence of the employees.
Officials told Dawn that the incident involving special assistant to the chief minister on relief Naik Mohammad took place last Friday when he barged into education secretary Mohammad Khalid’s office at the civil secretariat along with armed guards and other persons to pressure the top official into withdrawing transfer orders for North Waziristan’s district education officer (female).
According to a “situation report,” by the education department after the attack of armed persons led by the special assistant, “The group unlawfully intruded into department premises, creating a situation of intimidation and harassment.”
President of the Provincial Management Service Association Noman Wazir told Dawn that the employees observed the strike from 10pm to 2pm.
He said senior bureaucrats delivered their speeches amid sloganeering against the aide to the CM and in favour of the education secretary.
“Our strike will continue until the acceptance of our demands, which include the removal of the special assistant and the registration of FIR against him. If strict action is not taken, all influential persons will get the courage to storm the offices of government employees at will,” he said.
Addressing protesters, secretary of the livestock department Tahir Orakzai said the government employees were committed to protecting the people’s interest in line with rules and regulations.
“The government servants have got fed up with the day-to-day unnecessary interventions of politicians in their affairs,” he said.
Mr Orakzai said that the government servants were competent people, who were recruited through proper procedures but they weren’t allowed to carry out proper planning and executive schemes on their own.
He said the elected members were respectable for government servants and whenever they visited government offices, they’re treated with honour and respect but it didn’t mean that the politicians would disrespect government servants.
Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2025
