ISLAMABAD: Police on Monday resorted to baton charge and used tear gas shells against protesting teachers from various districts of Punjab when they tried to march towards the Bani Gala residence of Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday.

A large number of contractual teachers including women from various districts of Punjab carrying placards and banners planned to stage a protest outside Prime Minister Imran Khan’s residence against the government’s decision of linking the regularisation of contractual teachers with passing of examination of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) and an interview.

A heavy contingent of police deployed on the occasion, blocked the protesting teachers from moving forward, when the protesting teachers resisted and tried to move forward police resorted to baton charge and used tear gas shells to disperse them.

Police arrested several teachers and also blocked all routes leading to the prime minister’s residence.

The protesting teachers later started protest on Bhara Kahu road and completely blocked traffic from Muree and Kashmir. They chanted slogans against the government and stick to demand that they would stage a protest outside the prime minister’s Bani Gala residence.

Later, Islamabad deputy commissioner Muhammad Hamza Shafqat arrived at the scene to hold dialogue with the protesting teachers but the protesters refused to hold dialogue with him.

The teachers said the Punjab government had linked regularisation of teachers who were teaching in various schools of Punjab for the last six years with the passing of Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) exam and an interview, which was injustice. They were not being regularised despite passing the National Testing Service (NTS) exam in 2014.

Later, the teachers ended the protest after having a negotiation with the Islamabad deputy commissioner.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020