Zubair Qureshi
Nearly a year has passed since the computer teachers hired on a four-year contract in schools and colleges of Islamabad received their salaries.
These lady teachers despite their hard work and dedication are facing the worst type of discrimination that too in the heart of Islamabad which was once declared a “model education city” by Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
Now as the cost of living has gone up and inflation seems to go out of control, these teachers are facing it hard to live a decent life without salaries.
During a rally and protest demonstration outside the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), they appealed to the government and the authorities to come to their rescue and release their salaries.
They were holding placards and chanting slogans demanding action against those responsible. As per details, in 2017, the Ministry of IT in collaboration with the Universal Service Fund (USF) decided to set up computer labs in 202 schools and colleges working under the FDE in Islamabad.
The computer teachers were recruited after passing the test and interview stages. In February 2022, the Ministry of Education took over the teachers’ contract and extended it for another three years, and announced that it will be renewed annually.
Since then, these teachers have not received their salaries, as the objections raised by the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) have not been addressed by the Planning and Development (P&D) Wing for the last three months.
A budget for their salaries was approved by the Finance Ministry and given to the AGPR in August 2022, but so far, they have not been disbursed the salaries because AGPR’s objections remain unaddressed.
