PESHAWAR: Hundreds of primary school teachers from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) staged a massive protest in Peshawar on Wednesday, once again raising their longstanding demands for service upgradation and regularisation.
The protest, organised by the All Primary Teachers Association (APTA), originated at Civil Quarters and marched toward the Peshawar Press Club, bringing parts of the city to a standstill.
Teachers participating in the protest said they have been struggling for years to get their positions upgraded and services regularised. Despite written agreements and assurances by previous provincial governments, little to no progress has been made. Protesters carried banners and chanted slogans, accusing the provincial authorities of breaking promises and treating educators unfairly.
“We are not asking for luxuries while we are demanding our rights,” said Azizullah, President of APTA, while addressing the media. “The previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government approved our upgradation in the cabinet. It was a formal, documented commitment, yet now the authorities have completely backed out. It is an act of betrayal.”
Teachers claim that although a formal cabinet decision was made to upgrade their scales, the implementation has been delayed indefinitely. They believe the government is deliberately ignoring their plight, using budget constraints as an excuse while prioritizing other sectors. The protesting teachers demanded that the KP Government include their upgradation in the 2025–26 provincial budget, which is expected to be presented later this month.
“If the government fails to address our concerns in this budget, we will have no option but to shut down all primary schools across the province,” Azizullah warned. He also indicated that the association is considering legal action if the demands continue to be neglected.
“It’s ironic that the provincial government boasts of giving loans to the federal government while ignoring its own teachers who are shaping the future of our children. If they can’t respect educators, what kind of future are they building?” Teachers said they feel abandoned by a system that claims to prioritize education but offers little support to those at its foundation. Many said they are facing increasing workloads, inflation, and job insecurity, all while being treated as temporary or contract workers despite years of service.
Education experts warn that if the issue is not resolved soon, it could have serious consequences for the province’s education system. School closures, loss of learning time, and a demoralized teaching workforce could reverse the progress made in recent years in increasing literacy and enrollment rates in rural KP. APTA leaders confirmed that this protest is only the beginning and that a province-wide campaign will be launched if authorities remain unresponsive. So far, the KP Education Department and Finance Ministry have not issued an official response to the protest. However, sources indicate that discussions are ongoing behind the scenes, and a meeting between teacher representatives and government officials may take place in the coming days.
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