PESHAWAR, Jan 11: School Officers Association and All Tribal Teachers Association (ATTA), Fata, have warned to launch a campaign against the government if non-local officers appointed on key administrative posts in Federally Administered Tribal Areas are not replaced with local officers.

“We give two-week time to the government to replace all officers belonging to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who have been posted on key posts in education department of Fata with local officers because the appointment of influential persons has caused serious unrest among tribal teachers,” said ATTA president Abdul Jalil Afridi while speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Friday.

Giving an example, he said that the sitting director education, Fata, Roz Wali Khattak was a grade-19 officer and posted on grade-20 post on political basis. He called for immediate replacement of the officer otherwise the association members wouldboycott duties in anti-polio campaigns and next general election.

Accompanied by other officer-bearers of the association from different tribal regions, Mr Afridi warned that they would lock the offices of education department in Fata if their demands were not accepted.

He said that a number of qualified officers of grade-19 in Fata had been neglected in the appointment of director education. He said that the appointment of non-tribal people was made on the pretext of joint cadre, saying that there were many unattractive posts like that of head masters, but no one from the settled area was posted on them and only administrative posts were given to outsiders.

“We want appointment of tribal officers on key positions because local officers can know well the problems of tribal people and focus on their issues,” he added.

He said that due to increasing political interference in directorate of education, Fata, the provincial school officers had grabbed key posts in Fata by using political influence.

The association’s president said that they had raised the issue with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor and other authorities concerned, but to no avail. He again demanded of the federal government and governor to order immediate replacement of non-local tribal officers, including the exiting director education, with tribal officers.

Mr Afridi warned that in case otherwise they would launch a protest movement for acceptance of their demands.