Daily Times

Thousands of primary school teachers, including female teachers, staged a protest in front of Peshawar Press Club. The protest was led by Provincial President of All Primary Teachers Association (APTA), Azizullah Khan.

He stated that after a long struggle, the former provincial cabinet approved the upgradation of primary teachers on January 17, which included other cadres as well. Despite meetings with MPs and ministers, the Finance Department is misleading the government with incorrect data.

Azizullah Khan highlighted that the upgradation costs are only 3 billion rupees, which is not a significant burden for the government. He announced a deadline of October 31 for the issuance of the upgradation notification, warning that if the demands are not met, a large sit-in will be held in Peshawar on November 5, 2024, with 100,000 primary teachers participating.

He also warned of a complete shutdown of 26,000 primary schools starting the same day.

Teachers are also demanding regularization, the restoration of the Fargo option in promotions, and the resolution of inter-district and union council transfer issues.

Leaders including Rafaqatullah, General Secretary Sahibzada Nadeem Jan, Chairman Manzoor Bacha, and ATA’s Naveed Gul also addressed the protest.