FATA Communal schools teachers stage a protest in front of FATA Secretariat

December 17,2010
A protest demonstration was held by FATA Communal teachers in front of FATA Secretariat on Warsak Road Peshawar. The procession was led by Manzoor Afridi and Zar ali khan Afridi. A large number of the FATA communal school teachers were present on the occasion calling FATA secretariat as the traitor institution and a slaughter house for people of FATA.The number of protesting teachers and their supporters increased from 200 and all were unison in condemnation of the barbaric decision of FATA Secretariat which dismissed more than 3000 communal teachers throughout FATA by just one stroke of a pen. The protesting teachers were holding play cards inscribed with slogan in their rights and against the decision of the FATA Secretariat. On this occasion Manzoor Afridi a central leader of the protestors strongly condemned the inhuman decision of the FATA secretariat and governor house of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that FATA which has been in trouble for the last so many years and terrorism has destroyed its peace has now come under the Damocles sword of the FATA Secretariat which deprived a large number of the teachers from their job and so many innocent youth of FATA rendered without schools. Our children need books and pens while FATA secretariat wishes to give them guns instead of the books and pens. This is being done intentionally by the people sitting at helms of affairs in FATA Secretariat and governor house. We once again deplore this decision and calling upon responsible people to take the decision back and order for the reinstatement of more than 3000 communal teachers. The number of communal schools closed is 900.Zar Ali Khan Afridi Chairman Tribal NGOs Consortium while addressing the protesting FATA Communal schools teachers said that FATA has been left behind in all developmental schemes and today we see that FATA secretariat showed its black and draconian face to the people of FATA. This is a great injustice with our people and we can not accept it. We will fight peacefully for winning our rights. The decision to dismiss more than 900 communal schools teachers is a great injustice and this will further create a vacuum and qualified people will get jobless. Children in FATA need education which can foil the conspiracy of extremist forces but people at helms of affairs in FATA Secretariat are busy taking pen and book from these children and try to give them guns instead which is unacceptable to us. This is 21st century and FATA people want to see peace and development in their areas. But this development will not be more than a mirage when there is no education. We demand of the responsible people to take back this decision and order for the reinstatement of communal schools teachers.The protestors dispersed peacefully and decided to continue their peaceful protest till the acceptance of their just demands of restoration. Issued byTribal NGOs Consortium0391596333703339134919FATA