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ISLAMABAD, July 1: The Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) on June 30 released the salaries of 1,358 daily-wage teachers stuck up for five months.

It is for the first time that Rs44 million have been paid to the teachers through the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR). Previously, the salaries of the daily wage teachers were paid from the monthly student fund.

However, on November 20, 2013, in pursuance of Article 25-A (which guarantees free education for every child) CADD abolished all kinds of fees, charges, student funds and expenses.

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THATTA, July 1: Two miners were killed in a coal mine which caved in accidentally on June30 at the mining zone of Yaqoob Brohi village near Jhimpir, locals and officials said.

They said that around two dozen workers were busy digging coal when a wall of the mine collapsed and the miners got trapped inside.

The manager of the Lucky coal mine, Nazar Jakhro, told Dawn that two miners — Khamoon Khaskheli and Khamiso Khaskheli — died on the spot.

However, the others managed to come out of the mine. Two more workers — Bahadur Jakhro and Manzoor Khaskheli — suffered serious injuries when the trapped workers ran for safety. They were dragged out of the mine in a critical condition and were rushed to a Hyderabad hospital, he added.

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SUKKUR, June 30: The Khairpur Police arrested, after a baton charge, at least 18 teachers who had passed the NTS test in front of the CM’s House, Khairpur, as they protested against the non issuance of their appointment orders on June 28.

Reports said the protesters marched through the streets of Khairpur and reached the CM House to stage a sit-in, however, when they reached there the Khairpur Police baton charged them, injuring many teachers while the police sent some 18 teachers behind the bars.

The victims said they wanted to stage a sit-in in a peaceful manner to press for their demands but the police, violating their fundamental rights, beat and sent them to the lock-up. They said they had passed the NTS test and were declared eligible for the post of teacher but the Education Department despite the issuance of their orders was annoying them in the pretext of verifying their documents. They said the NTS passed eligible teachers in other districts had received their appointment letters but in the city of the CM the officials denied issuing their appointment letters and said the CM would personally distribute them among the teachers. The victims demanded for the immediate release of their colleagues and appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take a suo moto notice of the police torture and violence.

Published by Daily The News on June 29, 2014

SAHIWAL, June 30: Activists of brick kiln unions have alleged maltreatment by their owners.

A number of kiln workers from village 205/EB, Ahmadyar and Arifwala had formed unions to plead their cases of just wages and other rights. They allege office-bearers of Pakpattan’s District Brick Kiln Association keep trying to suppress their voice by resorting to various tactics.

On June 24, it is learnt, kiln owners got registered a rape case against two activists of Bhatta Mazdoor Union with the Saddar police station in Arifwala. The complainant was a worker at Shalimar Brick Kiln Industry.

The police registered a case against the two workers for a crime which, according to the complainant, was committed on March 18 last. SHO Allah Ditta claimed that the police found the nominated men ‘innocent’ but they had been arrested on the order of a court.

The workers accuse District Brick Kiln Owners Association (Pakpattan) General Secretary Iftikhar Mohar of masterminding fake cases against kiln workers.

A few months earlier, Rana Kiln Industry’s employee Bushra Bibi, wife of Muhammad Arshad, had been ‘penalised’ for actively pursuing cases of colleagues.

She told Dawn that she, along with her husband and some kiln workers, formed organisations — Bhatta Mazdoor Union, Rana Brother Bricks, Masha Allah Sindhu Bricks, Allah Tawakal Bricks and Marhaba Bricks. She said the group voiced concern at low wages and denial of other rights of workers at various fora.

“I motivated kiln workers by visiting their workplaces to put up a demand before their owners to ensure minimum wages as announced by the Punjab government,” she said.

She said Iftikhar Mohar, a lawyer at Arifwala Tehsil Courts and owner of a kiln industry, did not like her activism and orchestrated an attack on her. “Munawar Zaman, owner of Shalimar Kiln Industry at 205/EB, along with 20 men, attacked me and a co-worker on March 17 at a meeting. The assailants tortured her and fled the scene,” she said.

Bushra said she vowed to pursue the matter with the police and withdrew the case only when Munawar Zaman’s father ensured full protection to her in future and requested her to give up the case. She said she was sacked the very next day by her employer.

The workers allege Iftikhar Mohar is also involved in torturing another worker, Khadija Bibi, a resident of Kaboola locality. Khadija lodged an FIR at the Arifwala police station but she was arrested and embroiled in litigation for one year.

Published by Daily Dawn on June 29, 2014