ATTOCK, Jan 3: The clerks of District Education Department went on a complete strike on Monday in protest against the transfer of their fellows as the work in the department remained suspended.

Some of the clerks also staged protest demonstration in front of the District Coordination Office (DCO) on Monday stressing upon the administration to withdraw the transfer orders, sources said.

As many as 18 clerks of different offices of the Education Department were reshuffled on December 23 by the Executive District Officer (EDO) Education in pursuance of the Punjab government direction. Afterwards, they were relieved by their respective departmental heads but they were reluctant to assume their new postings causing confrontation between the clerks and the administration of the Education Department, sources said.

Initially, the clerks utilised their resources to get their transfer orders withdrawn but remained unsuccessful. Ultimately, they went on strike. Meanwhile, a delegation of clerks called on the DCO to discuss the issue but their meeting remained inconclusive, sources said.

When DCO Shakeel Ahmed was contacted he said that that the protest of the clerks was unjustified as they had been working on the same seat for the last eight years and they were transferred on the directions of the Punjab government. He said that he advised the clerks to obey the transfer orders as per policy and should join their new postings.