ISLAMABAD, April 15: As many as 143 teachers belonging to the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, who have been working in Islamabad under the wedlock policy, are set to get the good news on Monday that they can stay in the federal capital for an indefinite period.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has issued directives which will be communicated to the teachers by Ambassador for Women Empowerment Fiza Batool Gilani during a gathering at the Prime Minister Secretariat, Dawn has learnt.
According to sources, 102 female and 41 male teachers have been working in different educational institutions of the federal capital under the wedlock policy. As many as 79 of them have completed five years (some of them are in Islamabad even for the last over 13 years). After devolution of the Ministry of Education, the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) took control of the educational institutions and decided to send these teachers back to their provinces. Though the teachers had come under the wedlock policy, the criterion adopted to accommodate them in Islamabad was ‘deputation’ under which every deputationist has to go back to their mother organisation after completion of five years.
But the teachers were of the view that they were not in a position to go back because most of them had permanently shifted to the federal capital and their children were studying in the twin cities. Besides, their husbands/wives are working in the federal capital so it is not possible for them to live in other cities.
A delegation of the teachers met Ms Fiza Gilani and requested her to resolve their problem. Now it has been learnt that because of her efforts, the prime minister has directed the authorities concerned that the teachers working under the wedlock policy can stay in the federal capital for an indefinite period.
However, an official of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) requesting not to be named added: “PM’s directive has resolved only part of the problem because we have been informed that they can stay in the city but will not be entitled to promotion and other facilities. If they want to get all the benefits, they will have to go to their mother organisations.”
He said had the FDE and CADD been directed to absorb the teachers, the problem would have been resolved permanently.
A senior teacher requesting anonymity said the FDE had been considering creating as many as 2,800 vacancies for contractual, daily wage and other teachers. Another 143 vacancies can also be created to resolve the issue of the teachers working under the wedlock policy.
Another teacher said they had met Joint Secretary CADD Rafique Tahir and Director General FDE Atif Kiyani and both told them that there was a good news for them which would be communicated to them By Ms Fiza Gilani.