Teachers in Pak’s Balochistan boycott matriculation exams over their demands

The teachers in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, who have been protesting for several weeks now, on Friday boycotted matriculation exams in favour of their demands, said the provincial education department.

Under the banner of Balochistan Employees and Workers Grand Alliance, the teachers have been protesting and demanding a pay increase.

“A large number of students were witnessed outside different schools in Chaman. The students kept waiting on for their paper of Arts, but teachers did not show up,” the education department spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, a partial boycott of the matriculation examination was witnessed in various parts of the province. Teachers have vowed to continue their sit-in until their demands are met.

A spokesman for the Balochistan Employees and Workers Grand Alliance said that the sit-in would continue till the acceptance of their demand.

In early April, Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan was cut off from other parts of the country due to the ongoing demonstrations by government employees demanding salary hikes.

Last month, hundreds of teachers had held a protest demanding salary hikes in Muzaffarabad city of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. They had threatened to boycott all government duties, including election work, the teachers urged the government to fulfil their demands.