Educators' Revolt: Gilgit-Baltistan Teachers Demand Justice
Teachers in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan are on a protest sit-in for six days, demanding overdue promotions. Despite adverse conditions, academic activities are halted as teachers await justice, asserting their qualifications have been overlooked. Legal mandates for their promotions remain unfulfilled, further intensifying the stand-off.
- Country:
- PoGB
For six consecutive days, educators in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan have boycotted classes and staged a persistent protest sit-in. They are demanding long-overdue promotions, which they argue have been unjustly delayed. Academic functions across the region have come to a complete standstill as thousands of teachers continue their demonstration, according to Dawn reports.
The protest has seen teachers rallying in multiple districts, including Hunza, Nagar, Astore, Skardu, Diamer, Ghanche, Shigar, Kharmang, and Ghizer. In a march on Friday, educators from these areas made their way to Gilgit, joining a significant sit-in protest outside the PoGB Directorate of Education, where the regional minister's office is based.
Despite challenging weather on Saturday, the protest persisted under the guidance of the Teachers' Coordination Committee, who claim that nearly 7,000 qualified teachers have been denied promotions. They highlight the failure to implement Supreme Appellate Court directives to grant rightful pay scales as a key issue. While an official government notification calls for verification of teacher qualifications, protesters view it as a stalling tactic against court-mandated promotions, according to Dawn.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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