LAKKI MARWAT, Aug 11: The Lakki chapter of the All-Teachers’ Association (ATA) on Saturday set up a camp outside the office of executive district officer of the schools and literacy department in protest against alleged embezzlement of teachers’ salaries, general provident fund and advance salaries.

Provincial general secretary of the association, Khairullah Hawari, local ATA leaders and teachers in a large number participated in the protest.

They said that in-charge of the schools and literacy department, Lakki, withheld the salaries of over a dozen primary school teachers for April 2007.

They said that the affected teachers had informed the higher officials, but to no avail.

They alleged that a large-scale misappropriation had also been committed in general provident fund (advance) and advance salaries of the schoolteachers.

They said that delay on the part of the officials concerned in initiating action against the fraudulent elements compelled the teachers’ community to launch a protest movement for the recovery of embezzled salaries.

They said that the teachers’ association would hold a protest demonstration outside the Peshawar press club soon if the affected teachers were not paid their salaries from April to August immediately.

Khairullah Hawari, Abdul Samad Khan, Fareedullah Shah, Azim Khan, Shakir Tajazai, Syed Badshah, Amanullah Khan, Taj Ali Khan, Munawar Shah, Noor Gohar Shah, Mir Abbas Khan and Abdul Rahim spoke on the occasion.

Meanwhile, union nazims Mohammad Ibrahim Khan and Maulana Asghar Ali and the JUI's district amir Maulana Abdul Wahid Marwat visited the protest camp and expressed solidarity with the protesting teachers.—Correspondent