PESHAWAR, May 30: Around 4,000 primary school teachers held a protest rally here on Wednesday against non-implementation of time scale formula for their promotion. They warned to lay siege to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly if their sole demand was not fulfilled till June 5.

The teachers gathered in the ground of Government Higher Secondary School City No 1 under the banner of All Primary Teachers Association (APTA). Later, they marched from the school towards the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly where they staged a sit-in on the Khyber Road. The road remained blocked for about three hours.

The protesting teachers holding banners and placards inscribed with their demand chanted slogans against the government and elementary and secondary education department for not implementing the time scale formula for their promotion.

Talking to Dawn, APTA president Malik Khalid Khan said that their protest was based on a single demand of implementation of time scale promotion formula.

He said that the education department had already approved this promotion formula, but was showing delaying tactics in its implementation.  He said that this formula had already been implemented for promotion of primary teachers in other provinces.

Mr Khan said that they were to proceed to the Chief Minister’s House for a nightlong sit-in protest, but this was postponed for some days when Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain assured them that their demand would soon be accepted.