Student group condemns forced retirement of teachers by Pakistani authorities in Balochistan

Quetta, June 16 (IANS) A leading student organisation strongly condemned the forced retirement of teachers and other government employees as well as the retaliatory actions taken against them by the Pakistani authorities, describing the move as “undemocratic and regrettable”.

Expressing grave concern, the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC) alleged that the process of forced retirement is being used as a tactic to deter these teachers and employees from raising their voices for their rights.

According to the student organisation, these measures are part of a “conspiracy” to keep Balochistan educationally deprived and further lower the literacy rate in the province. It stated that a severe shortage of teachers across the province has already left several schools non-functional, turning many into what are commonly referred to as “ghost schools”.

“The dire state of education in Balochistan has persisted for a long time. Every incoming government makes claims of educational reform, but in practice, they appear miles away from taking meaningful steps. On one hand, governments—including the current one—always talk about improving education, quality education, and increasing literacy rates; on the other hand, there are many areas in Balochistan where not only teachers and quality education are absent, but even schools do not exist,” the BSAC stated.

“This situation highlights the ongoing educational backwardness in Balochistan, which is a moment for serious reflection,” it added.

The BSAC said that government employees in Balochistan, many of them professors and teachers, have endured significant hardship while staging protests over the past year to demand their constitutional rights.

The organisation noted that while the government has repeatedly claimed to be improving the education sector, it has failed to address the legitimate demands of these teachers.

Criticising the forced retirement of teachers, the BSAC said, “Teachers are considered an essential component of any society’s progress, and it is teachers who form the fundamental unit for bringing about an educational revolution. Their humiliation in this manner is unacceptable. Our relationship with teachers is one of intellect and spirit; they bring students to a position of achievement through their hard work and sincerity.”

The student organisation called on the Pakistani authorities to reconsider the “anti-education policy” in Balochistan and immediately halt the process of forced retirement of teachers and other government employees.

–IANS

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