Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: Urging all government school teachers to participate in the forthcoming protest, All Teachers’ Organization Khyber chapter president Sharifullah Afridi announced their full support in the upcoming government employees’ protest on January 22 in Peshawar.
Flanked by Landikotal chapter president Malik Nadir Shah and senior teachers Jamil Afridi, Shareefullah Afridi made this statement at a press conference held at the Khyber District Press Club in Landilotal (registered).
The teachers’ leaders emphasized the need for government employees’ salary increases to be in line with inflation and called for the restoration of the old pension system.
They expressed their support for the protest organized by the All Government Employees Grand Alliance(AGEGA) against the pension cut and demanded the reinstatement of the previous pension system.
Shareefullah urged the government to take immediate action to address the rising inflation by increasing the salaries of government employees and restoring the old pension system. They also threatened that if their demands were not met promptly, the government employees’ protest would continue until their grievances not resolved. He said more than five thousand school teachers of different caders would take part in the protest being held against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. He said they had completed their homework and would travel to Peshawar in a car rally.
He highlighted the significance of pensions as a vital support for retired employees in their old age.
The teachers criticized the ruling elite, including bureaucrats, MNAs, MPAs and ministers for continually increasing their perks and privileges while depriving low-income government employees of their retirement benefits. They argued that the real burden on the national treasury was not the salaries and pensions of government employees but the extravagance of the ruling class, including the misuse of official vehicles, electricity, fuel and rampant corruption.
In their concluding remarks, the teachers’ leaders issued a stern warning that if the old pension system is not restored, the Contributory Provident(CP) Fund is not abolished, and teachers’ upgradation is not implemented, thousands of government employees will march towards Peshawar on January 22, and their sit-in will continue until their demands are met.
