HYDERABAD, April 7: The Primary Teachers Association on Tuesday called off protest demonstration announced for Wednesday following talks with Sindh Education Minister, Irfanullah Marwat.

Mr Marwat personally took the initiative and visited the central office of the association which took the office-bearers of the PTA by surprise. The minister discussed teachers' problems with the central president of the association, Rafique Jarwar, and other leaders.

Mr Marwat gave a patient hearing to the teachers' demands and said that a meeting would be convened at Karachi within one week where all the problems of the teachers would be discussed threadbare.

The minister reported to have made it clear that no employment quota would be reserved for teachers' children but held out an assurance that they would be given employment on priority basis on merit. On this the teachers called off the scheduled protest.

PTA: The Primary Teachers Alliance, Hyderabad has supported the merit policy of Sindh Education Minister, Irfanullah Marwat. A delegation of the alliance, led by its president Haji Mohammad Bhatti, called on the minister at the circuit house on Tuesday and offered full support to him for his education policies and said the alliance would not be a party to any boycott or protest movement.

The delegation informed the minister that there were only a handful of people who tried to destroy the educational atmosphere. Mr Marwat assured the delegation that all the vacant posts in the education department would be filled through merit and added that no one would be allotted any employment quota. He said that all the other genuine problems of teachers would be resolved on priority basis.

GUL PHUL: Sindhi Adabi Board announced here on Tuesday that monthly Gul Phul (April 2004) has been published under the supervision of writer Tariq Alam Abro.