Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The capital police on Wednesday conducted crackdown against protesting daily wagers of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) when they shifted their demonstration from the directorate building to main Kashmir Highway and blocked both sides of the road.

The protesters marched from the FDE building located in sector G-9/4 toward Kashmir High Way when they failed to find any relief from authorities for their pending salaries and regularisation of their jobs’ status despite 58-long protest.

A couple of days ago, daily wage employees of FDE moved from the National Press Club to the FDE building. They continued their protest over 50 days outside the press club. However, the authorities concerned did not consider their plight.

The police arrested many protesters including men and women. Later they were released following the intervention of the Islamabad Commissioner Captain (r) Mushtaq Ahmed. The commissioner assured them about the possible solution of their issues after meeting with the Capital Administration & Development Division’s (CADD) Tariq Fazal Chaudhry. The protestors made it clear that they would not be pressurised by the police or any other force as they were protesting for their legal rights. They already have boycotted classes in their respective schools and colleges.

There are around 2,250 daily wagers who are serving in 423 educational institutes of the FDE, both in teaching and non-teaching categories. The FDE is an attached functionary of the Ministry of CADD. The regularisation of daily wagers is a longstanding issue for the past eight years. They have not been paid since June 2017.

Some political leaders also criticised the police action against the protestors. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Leader Asad Umar said that the CADD Minister Chaudhry had no time to resolve the issue of these employees.

“Instead of resolving the fundamental issue of the masses, Chaudhry is busy in defending former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in courts,” he said, adding that it was a very regretting approach.

Asad Umar said that humiliating the teachers particularly insulting the female staff was embarrassing for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders.

Parliamentarian Ayesha Gulalai alleged that Chaudhry wanted to replace these teachers by and large with his own new appointments for political purposes.

“I am surprised that despite the fact that these teachers are highly qualified and experienced, they are not being adjusted by the authorities,” she said.

Ayesha Gulalai also lashed on former premier, saying that instead of worrying about his ouster, he should review the plight of these teachers.

Many forums including the Supreme Court had directed to resolve this but so far in vain.

In 2009, a committee on Regularisation of Contractual Employees was formed by Syed Khurshid Shah of the Pakistan People’s Party, though he had directed the concerned authorities to regularise some 100,000 daily wagers, who had been working at various federal departments and ministries. A few years ago, as per information, the CADD ministry regularised thousands of employees in the light of the committee’s recommendations at Polyclinic, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and other allied departments.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry assured the protestors that he will make possible solution of the issue in a couple of weeks and requested them to call off the ongoing strike.

On the other hand, representatives of the daily wagers refused to accept this offer. “The minister had made such commitments many times in the past,” they said, adding that they will not withdraw their protest until some documentary proof for a solution of their issues comes up.

Published in Daily Times, March 1^st 2018.