HARIPUR, Dec 12: District Nazim Dr Raja Amer Zaman on Saturday banned transfers of teaching staff. The decision was announced at a meeting presided over by the nazim, which also attended by the office-bearers of the All Teachers' Association, Haripur.

The association's representatives told the nazim that the ongoing reshuffling and transfers were casing unrest among teachers. They suggested certain steps for putting an end to politicization of the education department.

The nazim took exception to the wave of transfers in the district and announced an immediate ban on those. For redressing grievances of those who had been transferred, the nazim offered a right of appeal to them before a committee led by District Naib Nazim Mohammad Riaz Khan Jadoon.

Over 200 transfer orders of teaching staff of all cadres were endorsed by the provincial government on the recommendation of members of the NWFP Assembly belonging to Haripur during the last five months, causing unrest among the teachers who did not have any political support.

Some leaders of the association and the Malgiray Ustazan were also transferred, after which the organizations had threatened to go on strike from Dec 6. They withdrew the call for protest when some of the transfers were cancelled.