CHARSADDA, Jan 21: The residents of Shakoor union council here on Saturday locked three government schools to protest the continuous absence of teachers from duty.

The protesters locked the government high school and government primary school for boys and government primary school for girls to lodge their protest against the teachers' absence from duty.

However, former nazim of Mandani union council and officials of the education department reached the village and persuaded them to remove the locks and open the schools.

The villagers said that the teachers of the three schools never performed their duty as they were running their personal businesses. They said that students were suffering badly owing to the absenteeism of teachers.

The protesters said thatthe teachers drew salaries regularly from the government exchequer but never bothered to teach the students, whose precious time was being wasted.

Later, local leader of Awami National Party Nisar Mohammad and former nazim Mandani union council held a jirga with the villagers. The jirga was also attended by Tangi tehsil DDO Riaz Khan.

The jirga reviewed the situation and decided that the teachers of the three schools would perform their duty regularly and would avoid absenteeism.

BAR POLLS: Advocate Waris Khan Mohammadzai was elected president of Charsadda District Bar Association by defeating his rival Advocate Altaf Khan by only four votes here on Saturday.

As many as 142 members of the district bar polledvotes at the annual elections held under election committee headed by Attaullah Khan. According to the results, Waris Khan was elected president by receiving 70 votes, while Altaf Khan got 66 votes. Advocate Inayatur Rehman was elected vice president.

Three office-bearers were elected unopposed. They include general secretary Mujeebur Rehman, joint secretary Mohammad Khan and librarian Asif Khan.