PoK teachers protest in Muzaffarabad, demand salary hike

In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s (PoK) Muzaffarabad city, protests intensified on Tuesday as hundreds of teachers who have been protesting over their demand for a salary hike for the last one week threatened to boycott all the government’s duties including election work.

“This is our primary right. We want the hiked salaries. If not provided the schools will remain closed. We are king-makers as well as the destroyers of regimes. You will have a lot of difficulties if you do not listen to our demands. You will forget your general elections,” said a protestor.

One of the protestors added, “We will not only close the schools but will block the roads. No place will be left for the government to run away from this situation. We will boycott all the government’s duties – including teaching, block works, election work, board work,”.

“We will not resume our duties till our rights are met. This is not an illegal demand, we are demanding a rightful hike,” said another protestor.

Meanwhile, the police baton-charged and used water cannons as well as tossed teargas shells to disperse the protestors.

Last month, police resorted to using force and firing tear gas at the protesters after several teachers held a protest near Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s residence in Banigala to protest against the new regularisation policy of their department.

Up to 700 teachers from Punjab had reached Islamabad and decided to march on Khan’s house to protest against the new policy, which regularises the jobs of only those teachers who pass the examination of Public Service Commission and clear the interviews.