CHINIOT: The district education officer (DEO) suspended from service the headmistress, a teacher and a watchman of the Government Model Primary School, Chah Bootianwala, for allowing a wedding function at the school, where transpersons allegedly performed “obscene” dances.

Taking action on a footage of the wedding event surfacing on social media, Elementary Education DEO Ms Khadeeja Bokhari suspended from service Headmistress Muqaddas Iqbal, teacher Samina Batool and watchman Syed Ali Raza.

In their suspension letters, the education department levelled charges of “inefficiency, misconduct and failing to comply with the departmental directions”, resulting in “unethical incident of dance party” on the school premises.

The letter also directs the deputy district education officer to stop their salaries online as the suspended staffers will draw their subsistence allowance in lieu of salary during the suspension period.

The DEO also served a show-cause notice to the suspended staffers under section 7(b) and 5(1)(a) of the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (Peeda) Act, 2006, seeking a reply within seven days.

Sources say that the action was taken against the staffers on the direction of the deputy commissioner after the footage of the event went viral.

Meanwhile, District Education Authority Chief Executive Officer Zafar Iqbal Wattoo has written a letter to all DEOs, stating that no school building should be used for private events as it is a violation of departmental rules.

He directed that teams comprising deputy district education officers (DDEOs) and assistant education officers (AEOs) should conduct surprise visits to the educational institutions and report violations of rules, if any.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2025