ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of teachers and non teaching staff members, protested in front of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) on Monday, forcing its administration to suspend routine activities.

Protesters blocked the road in front of the building for two hours and prevented anyone from entering FDE using front gate.

They raised slogans against the acting Director General of FDE who they alleged has been creating hurdles in regularisation of their services.

Meanwhile, around 300 teachers who were reinstated by the previous government but could not be given vacancies in schools also joined the daily wagers in the protest. “We are here to express solidarity with daily wagers and against the rampant corruption in FDE and Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD),” said Sardar Sadique, Non-teaching Association president.

He alleged that daily wagers have been running from pillar to post for the last many years to get regularisation orders, but DG office creates hurdles for them,” he claimed.

“We have been going to FDE and CADD for the last couple of months but no one is ready to hear our grievance,” said Abdul Sattar, a protester.

Meanwhile, a group of reinstated teachers and daily wagers also staged a protest demonstration in front of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD).

Later CADD Minister Usman Ibrahim held a meeting with the representative of teachers.

The minister informed them about the Islamabad High Court’s decision on the process of regularisation and steps taken by CADD.

“It has already been mentioned that Islamabad High Court has ordered to convene a committee comprising of Secretary Establishment and Secretary Cabinet to resolve the issue of the regularisation of daily wagers.

Those who have cleared all stages would be regularised accordingly,” he said.

“We have done what we could do to address the grievances of the daily wagers and the regularisation issue would be resolved,” he added.

He said that he has also made a request to the secretary establishment to expedite the regularisation process.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2014