Sacked AKES teachers end strike

BOONI, June 16: The AKES teachers in upper Chitral, who had gone on a strike on May 20 after being sacked, ended their protest on the assurance of the elders from different walks of life that they would forward a resolution to the chairman AKES for immediate resolution of the issue. A meeting of the elders of Booni held with the teachers discussed the resolution of the lingering issue on the initiative of Dr. Sardar Nawaz and Merajuddin. The elders included senior political figures, lawyers, community representatives, teachers, social activists, SHO Booni and media persons. It is pertinent to note here that a provincial minister KP had also met the teachers on his visit to Booni and listened to their grievances and demands. Elders generally and community representatives particularly expressed their reservations on the issue of dragging the name of His Highness the Aga Khan regularly in local papers on different issues emerging from AKDN subsidiaries and AGM AKES, Chitral’s refusal to meet community. Teachers on the strike said the AGM of AKES, Chitral, should have met them and listened to their demands. It may be noted that the teachers were sacked after they refused to sit in a baseline test conducted by the AKES. But Hamidur Rehman said “had this test been necessary then why school’s head teachers did not close the schools to enable the teachers to sit in the test. It was due to the classes that we could not be able to attend the test.” The elders condemned this inaction of GM AKES, Chitral, that caused humiliation to the community and the institutions. Thus the elders committee hereby passed a unanimous resolution and forwarded it to the chairman of AKES for earliest action in the interest of the Jamat and the institutions. The main points undersigned by the committee read as follows: *The jamat and the jamati elites unanimously request for the restoration of terminated teachers at any appropriate capacity anywhere within AKES. *Exploitation of youth and nepotism should not be practiced further by the authorities. *A clear service structure be formulated/framed immediately and the copies of that should be provided to each employee of AKES per relevant law for avoiding further ambiguity and complexities. *Professionalism and meritocracy is lacking, and that must be ensured in each section of AKES. *The community also requested for the immediate visit of the respected Chairman of AKESP to Upper Chitral and help resolve the problems regarding schools, teachers and other issues so that the gap among employees, management and community could be bridged in due time. *Due to such injustices as cited above by AKES authorities, litigations in the civil courts is being encouraged which is necessary to be snubbed into buds.  ]]>