KARACHI, Jan 4: The Sindh education department has withdrawn the suspension orders of 353 government teachers who are also working with some media houses besides their teaching assignment.

Senior Sindh Minister Pir Mazhar ul Haq, who holds the portfolio of education and literacy, appealed to the teachers working with media houses not to ignore their real duty to education.

Speaking to Dawn on Friday the minister explained: “I had only allowed our teachers to take on honorary work with the media and non-governmental organisations in order to satisfy their creative urges. I am aware that there are many teachers who would like to try out their talent at expressing themselves through writing or broadcasting so I saw no problem in their doing so but only on an honorary basis”.

“There is a legal provision for this in the civil service, but on the condition that the main job is not compromised or affected,” he added.

“But now I see that this support that I had extended to them is being abused by the teachers as they are completely ignoring their main duties, which is education, to work fulltime with the media houses,” he regretted.

“I was also quite disappointed to find our teachers using the print and electronic media to badmouth the education department for calling them back to work,” he said.

“The Sindh education department had suspended these teachers, who happen to be 353 in number. But now we have withdrawn the suspension orders, giving them another chance to join their regular jobs,” he said.