In an escalating standoff, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has issued immediate suspension orders for primary school teachers absent from their duties, particularly targeting those participating in ongoing protests. The KP Director of Education has directed all district education officers to identify and suspend absent teachers—both those involved in the demonstrations and those absent without cause.
The directive comes as the province grapples with widespread school closures, with primary school teachers entering their second day of protest. Organized by the All-Primary Teachers Association (APTA), teachers have locked classrooms, demanding job upgrades and refusing to return until their demands are met. Despite facing potential suspensions, protesters remain defiant, invoking past arrests and pledging to continue their struggle.
The protests have led to significant disruptions, with the majority of primary schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, closed. However, reports indicate that some schools in select areas remain operational, with teachers choosing to continue their duties.
In a bid to resolve the impasse, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has scheduled a 10 a.m. meeting with APTA representatives, which will be led by the deputy commissioner. The meeting will focus on addressing teachers’ demands for job upgrades, with hopes of negotiating a compromise that could restore normalcy in schools.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Education has reportedly sent a WhatsApp message asserting that a majority of primary schools continue to function, a claim disputed by APTA’s provincial president, who insists that all boys’ and girls’ primary schools remain shut. The association’s leadership has warned that if their demands are not met, they will escalate their protest actions.
The peaceful sit-in near Jinnah Park has attracted increasing support, with local leaders such as Mian Iftikhar Hussain of the Awami National Party visiting the site to show solidarity. Teachers from remote areas have traveled to join the demonstration, expressing resilience despite government threats. As one teacher stated, “We have faced imprisonment before and are prepared to do so again.”
The protests, initiated on Tuesday, have seen government primary school teachers throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa send students home, pledging to maintain closures until the government meets their promotion demands.