Zubair Qureshi
Around 300 teachers working on deputation under wedlock in different schools of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) on Monday took to roads along with their families to register their protest against what they called ‘delaying tactics’ by the government in sending their bill to the President House for signature.
The bill “Protection of Family Life & Wedlock Bill 2023” was passed by both Houses of the Parliament—The National Assembly and the Senate—two months ago in August and was destined to land in the President House for President DrArifAlvi’s assent in the same month. The bill aims at permanent absorption of around 300 lady teachers working under wedlock in various schools of FDE for the last many years.
However, since August 7 when the bill was passed by the Senate, it has not been sent to the President and is taking rounds from one section of the Prime Minister’s Office to the other.
While condemning this inadvertent delay on part of the PMO, these teachers, mostly women teachers, held protest outside the National Press Club and chanted slogans and regretted that bureaucracy proved more powerful than the Parliament as a legislation passed by the Parliament is lying at its mercy.
They had arrived with their families braving the cold wind and showers. They were holding placards and banners on which were inscribed slogans such as “Parliament koIzzat Do” “UstaadkoIzzat Do” and “Don’t Disturb Family Life of Teachers.”
The protesting teachers were all set to march towards the Prime Minister’s Office, however, the local administration with the help of the police and the FC stopped them and requested them to postpone their march as they would arrange negotiations between them and the quarters concerned in the PM Office.
One of the lady teachers while speaking on the occasion, said they were surprised why an ordinary bill related with the welfare and family life protection of the teachers was being withheld by the government’s officials. “Kindly send our bill to the President and let him decide its fate,” said she. Another teacher said it was unfortunate that bureaucrats sitting in the PM Office were undermining the wisdom of the Parliament. Our protest will continue unless reason prevails and our bill is forwarded to President House, said she.
More than two months have passed since the Senate had passed the Islamabad wedlock teachers’ bill for their permanent absorption in FDE schools, but the bill is yet to see the light of the day as it has reportedly gone missing in the corridors of the Prime Minister’s Office and is yet to be traced and sent to the Aiwan-e-Sadr for President’s signature, she said.
“This is mysterious, shocking and quite irritating that at a time when a number of bills passed by the National Assembly and the Senate have been signed by the President and incorporated as Act of Parliament, a simple bill related to the ‘welfare and protection of family life’ of 300 teachers on deputation passed by the both the Houses is not yet signed by President ArifAlvi,’ said another protesting teacher.
