PESHAWAR:
The government on Tuesday informed the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly that it would not convert the status of around 2,000 employees of the education department who were initially employed as temporary or “flexible” lecturers to ad hoc posts.
The KP Higher Education Department hired the lecturers under a stop-gap scheme to address teacher shortages in government colleges.
The treasury faced an awkward situation in the provincial assembly when one of its members supported a call notice submitted by the opposition.
On the floor, PPP Parliamentary Leader Ahmed Kundi in his announcement stated that the government had allocated funds to address the shortage of teachers in government educational institutions and recruited about 2,000 flexitime teachers. “Currently, these faculty are teaching BS and AD programs in 330 colleges.”
He said there was uncertainty regarding the duration of their employment and salaries, and called on the government to convert their postings to ad hoc basis to ensure job security for at least one year.
He added that if the lecturers were dismissed, the students’ education would be severely affected as the lecturers had become an integral part of the academic system.
In response, Law Minister Aftab Alam clarified that recruitment in the higher education department follows a formal procedure, while the flexible hiring policy was introduced only in emergency situations to prevent disruption to students’ academic time.
He stated that according to government policy, the teachers could not be directly converted to permanent or ad hoc positions.
He explained that ad hoc appointments were often challenged in the courts, increasing pressure on the government to regulate them.
Furthermore, the minister said that the province’s salary budget has already increased significantly. He added that there was a clear procedure for permanent employment and that is through the Public Service Commission.
Supporting Kundi’s call for attention, Finance Member Munir Luqmani said that if the government is to re-recruit lecturers, it should first adjust those who are currently working as teachers through an appropriate mechanism.
Due to prolonged discussion and the absence of the Minister for Higher Education, the chairman adjourned the matter until the next session of the assembly.
Resolution
The assembly also passed a unanimous resolution urging the federal government to take immediate action regarding payment of wages and release of 6,000 Pakistani workers imprisoned in Saudi Arabia.
The resolution was presented by ANP member Nisar Baz. It stated that the House expressed concern over the plight of thousands of Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia who are facing various hardships. Despite meeting all legal requirements, they experience delays in salary payments and other problems.
It was reported that around 6,000 workers have not received their salaries for months, causing severe distress and financial pressure on their families.
The assembly urged the federal government to immediately intervene in the matter and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contact Saudi authorities to ensure payment of wages to Pakistani workers.
The resolution also called for emergency measures to be taken to resolve the problems faced by the affected workers so that they can resume their employment activities with dignity.
