PoGB: Female teachers protest over unfilled vacancies in education department

Female school teachers from Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) held a protest outside the Chief Minister's Secretariat in Gilgit City on Friday and demanded the vacancies in the education department be filled, local PoGB news outlet reported.

Female school teachers from Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) held a protest outside the Chief Minister's Secretariat in Gilgit City on Friday and demanded the vacancies in the education department be filled, local PoGB news outlet reported. The protestors raised concern over the staff not being made permanent despite their years of association.

"Many of us have been teachers since 1994 and have been struggling since day one, most of us don't know when we would be made permanent. In 2019, 700 of us teachers were made permanent," a protestor said. "The rest of us were assured that we would be made permanent in the second phase, but we have been waiting since then. But, when the seats were released for us female teachers, these posts were filled with partiality and favouritism. Some of us were even given call letters but nothing happened further," she added.

According to the report, the protester stated that they are also grappling with high inflation making it very difficult for them to meet their ends. "Being made permanent is not the only issue, but inflation has forced us to come out on roads. As we are not able to survive. No one has been addressing these issues. Neither the government of Pakistan nor the local administration has done anything to support our notation," she further said.

The protestors demanded a written assurance from the administration, or else they vowed to continue with their protests. "We already have the posts of teachers allotted, but they remain vacant. But this time we need it in writing within 10 days Otherwise we will continue this protest forever," a protestor said. (ANI)