Repatriation of 33 lady teachers working under wedlock policy suspended
Zubair Qureshi
Tuesday brought relief to some 33 female teachers of various government schools of Islamabad as they were earlier directed by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) to leave upon expiration of their deputation period and report to their parent departments, however, on their protest and complaint the National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Minister for Education Rana Tanveer Hussain directed suspension of their repatriation orders.
The minister has also directed the FDE to prepare induction cases of all female teachers working under wedlock policy in their respective cadres.
These female teachers have been working in various schools/model schools/model colleges of Islamabad for the past many years under wedlock policy. However thirty-three of 300 such teachers were issued repatriation letters by the FDE despite the fact some of them had even brought permanent NOC from their provinces.
Secretary Ministry of Education Amir Ashraf Khawaja in a four-page office order on Tuesday held that since a number of teachers had moved petitions in the courts, therefore till “the final outcome of the court cases, I direct to hold the repatriation of the following deputationists in abeyance.” The order further states that those teachers who have been relieved by the FDE prior to this decision can re-join the FDE and the period of their absence from duty owing to repatriation/relieving will be counted as leave.
In his order Secretary Education further held it seemed the FDE issued order [repatriation] to a specific group, especially in the case of appellants, which apparently seems person-specific and can challenged in the courts and is based on act of discrimination.
He also quoted the Pakistan Commission on the Status of Women which states “Transfer of women employees should be made only after reviewing the family circumstances, recognizing the principle that a man and his wife be posted at the same place as far as possible.”
While welcoming the decision, the female teachers termed it an ‘historic’ move reflective of the government’s resolve to provide relief to the people. “We have no words to thank the Speaker of the NA Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Minister for Education Rana Tanveer who have been taking personal interest to resolve the issue,” said one of the teachers.
However, they said withdrawal or suspension of repatriation letters was not their ultimate goal. All we want is one-time absorption as per the directions and policy of the previous governments of the PPP and the PML-N.
It was on March 8, 2013 the then Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Asraf had approved a summary for permanent absorption of teaching and non-teaching staff (BPS 1-15) under the Wedlock Policy as under:
“All the deputationists (teaching & non-teaching working in the educational institutions under FDE Islamabad on deputation basis under Wedlock Basis and completed their 05 years of deputation may be absorbed in their respective cadres.”
In Imran Khan’s government too these teachers took to roads and staged protests to draw the attention of the authorities to their grievances but nothing was done. “We have been given assurance by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf as he himself had directed our absorption back in 2013 and will now accomplish the unfinished agenda,” said one of the teachers.
