DADU, Jan 14: A large number of the primary teachers staged a demonstration in front of the press club here the other day to protest against the non-payment of salaries to more than 6,000 teachers of Dadu district for the last two months.

Speaking at the rally, Azizullah Leghari, sub-divisional president of the Primary Teachers Association, Dadu, said that the officials of the education department, without any prior notice, had sent over 300 teachers to surplus pool on the one hand and on the other around 308 posts were vacant in different primary schools of the district.

He said that the education department had sent flawed salary bills of the teachers to the district accounts office which had been followed by the stoppage of the funds for the salaries.

He alleged that now the officials of the district accounts office were demanding a commission of 30 per cent to pass their original salary bills.

He warned that if the education department did not cancel the orders of the surplus pool and did not pay the salaries to the teachers, they would continue their struggle.

Later, they staged a token hunger strike in front of the press club to press for the acceptance of their demands.

The teachers also boycotted their classes in the schools of Khairpur, Kotri, Dadu, Sehwan, Johi and Thana Bula Khan talukas.

BRIDGE COLLAPSES: An old bridge on Danister canal, originating from Manchhar Lake, collapsed on Friday.

It was built by the British government near Sehwan.

The officials of the highway department had failed to repair it.

The residents of Sehwan Sharif have appealed to the Sindh governor to enquire into the matter.

SUICIDES: An employee of the railway department, Mohammed Ibrahim Shaikh, 32, residence of Pir Gunio village, committed suicide by throwing himself before the Kotri-bound Shahbaz Express at the railway crossing near new bus stand, Dadu, on Saturday.

The cause of his suicide is said to be some domestic problem.

In another incident, a girl, S, 18, committed suicide by taking pesticide over some domestic problem in village Mitho near Thariri Mohabbat the other day.