Shahzad Rasheed
PESHAWAR: A group of 291 Pakistani male and female teachers who have been providing education to Afghan refugee children in refugee camps across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for nearly 40 years has appealed to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and the federal government to intervene and ensure justice following their alleged termination by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) without gratuity or employment benefits.
Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, teachers’ representatives Tufail Ahmed and Farhana Durrani said they had served under formal agreements with UNHCR, educating Afghan children for decades. However, they alleged that they were informed of their dismissal through late-night telephone calls last month without prior notice, compensation or clarification.
Tufail Ahmed said the teachers had dedicated their lives to securing a better future for Afghan children, but UNHCR had left 291 families facing financial uncertainty. He added that repeated applications seeking outstanding benefits had received no response.
Farhana Durrani alleged that teachers had been promised support and benefits after Afghan refugees departed Pakistan. She further claimed that despite international funding being received in dollars, teachers had been paid comparatively small salaries in Pakistani currency over the years.
She said the affected teachers belonged to Peshawar, Nowshera, Swabi, Haripur, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Hangu, Dera Ismail Khan and other areas.
The teachers have been staging a protest outside the UNHCR office in Peshawar for three days, demanding dialogue and payment of their rightful dues. They also alleged that police had intimidated protesters.
Appealing to the provincial governor and federal authorities, Durrani said many families were struggling to meet basic expenses and urged the government to ensure payment of gratuity and all outstanding benefits.
The teachers vowed to continue their peaceful protest until their demands were addressed and justice was delivered.
