LAHORE: Punjab schoolteachers under the banner of the Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) will hold province-wide protests from today (Monday) against their longstanding demands. The PTU Sunday announced that all their district committees would hold demonstrations outside press clubs against the Punjab government for not fulfilling their longstanding demands. Talking to Daily Times, PTU President Chaudhry Sarfraz said that inflation had made life difficult for teachers. “We can’t pay the rent of a single small room from the money we receive as house rent,” he lamented. Similarly, he said, that medical allowance was also not enough for a single hospital visit. He blamed Schools Education Department for poor plight of Punjab schoolteachers. “Teachers are being mentally tortured by the SED,” he said, adding that there was unrest among teachers due to non-provision of scales to teachers. He said that onus of “We will take to the street if our salaries are not increased 100 percent in the upcoming budget,” he warned. He said in the first phase, protests would be held in 36 districts of the province, while in the second phase they would protests in front of Parliament House and Punjab Assembly if their demands were not met. “Everyone knows that teaching is a noble profession and no nation can progress without respecting their teaching community. If our rulers want Pakistan to make progress they must be respectful to teachers,” he concluded. Published in Daily Times, April 9th 2018.