Bad day if you're a teacher in Sindh
Karachi, May 28: The city's main thoroughfare was blocked and hundreds of vehicles stranded on Thursday, as law enforcement agencies used water cannons and teargas on protesting teachers trying to reach the Governor's House to register their complaints.
As per details, hundreds of teachers including women, under the banner of Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA), staged a demonstration in front of the Karachi Press Club (KPC).
During the protest, SPLA members started to march towards the Governor's House to record a memorandum, however, when the protesters reached Fawara Chowk, law enforcers used water cannons to stop them. On being refused to go to the Governor's House, the teachers began to agitate at the place, causing a massive traffic jam on Abdullah Haroon Road, Fawara Chowk, Zainab Market and Saddar.
During the agitation, the infuriated teachers pelted stones on police and passing vehicles and staged a sit-in at Fawara Chowk. At least five police officers and dozens of teachers sustained injuries and were shifted to hospitals for treatment.
Meanwhile, police also detained 50 teachers including Abdul Rauf Bhutto, Liaquat Gadhar, Usman Gadhar and Muhammad Usman Halipota, and took them to Artillery Maidan police station.
Following the incident, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Rafiq Engineer rushed to the spot and tried to solve the issue but the leaders of SPLA refused to listen to the leader.
Later, the arrested teachers were released on the orders of the Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad.
Earlier, the SPLA leaders told journalists in KPC that teachers took out the rally against the delay in approval of their allowances and other benefits by Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Education Minister Mazharul Haq.
They said the president had ordered the CM to approve the teachers' demands and sign the summary in this regard, however, the chief minister delayed the signing of the summary and thus the teachers wanted to go to the Governor's House to register their message.
In the Sindh Assembly session, Haq had said the teachers' association had sabotaged education in the province and called them 'enemies of Sindh'.
They said the minister ought to work for the development of faculties and solution of their problems instead of giving such harsh statements against them.
They pointed out that teachers were not enemies of education but imparting knowledge.
It is pertinent to mention here that the SPLA has already expressed concern over the deterioration of education at college level in the province.
SPLA leaders were of the view that college teachers were considered a major hurdle in the privatisation of colleges hence they were being deprived of their basic service rights, including health insurance, job confirmation, housing, children quota, timing adjustments and increase in salaries. Daily times
