Education ......

Education

Police thrash college teachers in Karachi, 50 detained
Updated at 1800 PST Tuesday, March 15, 2011

KARACHI: Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) announced observing a 'black day' and strike in all government-run classes in Sindh province, after police applied brutal baton charge on their peaceful rally in Karachi on Tuesday.

As per details, Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) held a general body meeting at the DJ College and later started a protest march towards the CM House to present their demands including time-scale for college teachers and other issues. However, heavy contingents of police applied baton charge to the protesting teachers at the college gate. On the occasion tear gas shells were firing on teachers and water cannon was also used.

The infuriated teachers pelted police with stones and staged a sit-in outside DJ College. However, police mercilessly beat them up and compelled them taking shelter in the college building.

SPLA leader Prof Muzaffer Rizvi said some 50 teachers were detained while dozens others sustained injuries due to police torture. He said three teachers suffered heart attack due firing of teargas shells. He said eyesight of Central President SPLA Professor Athhar Hussain Mirza was affected due to teargas shelling.

Earlier, SPLA held a general body meeting at the DJ College and later started a protest march towards the CM House to present their demands including time-scale for college teachers and other issues, when police thrashed the college teachers and stopped them from going to the CM House.

Addressing the general body meeting, Professor Athar Hussain Mirza demanded issuance of notification for promotion of college teachers from BPS 18 to 19 and 17 to 18 along with posting orders.

He said that 414 college teachers were transferred on malafide basis and their transfers should be cancelled. He said a proper policy should be designed for transfer of college teachers.

Prof Athar demanded of the Sindh government to fill 3500 vacant posts of college teachers immediately.

He warned that delaying tactics from government side would not be tolerated in this regard.

He asked for abolishing office of the Director General (DG) Colleges and instead establishing five Directorates of College Education at Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas.

Prof Mirza opined that the procedure of payment of outstanding salaries and medical allowances be simplified so that college teachers can get their rights without trouble.

They said the ceiling of medical expenses of college teachers should be raised to Rs100000 with approval of college principle.

He also called for providing well-furnished hostels for college teachers within or outside the college premises, besides introducing policy of health insurance for them.

SPLA leader announced to suspend education process in all colleges of Sindh to protest against the police action on college teachers, adding a 'black day' would also be observed in Sindh and Balochistan.

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