Teachers of the Education Department in Jamrud, Khyber District, have rejected notices ordering them to vacate government residential quarters and hostels, demanding that alternative accommodation be provided before they are asked to leave. Otherwise, they warned, they will stage protests.

The teachers said they support the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government's development initiatives in Jamrud, particularly the establishment of a nursing and medical college. However, they stressed that forcibly evicting them from their residences for this purpose is unacceptable.

They stated that they have been legally residing in the government quarters and hostels for nearly 20 years while serving in various educational institutions across Khyber District.

According to the teachers, the residential units were officially allotted to them through proper allotment letters. They regularly pay electricity bills and other dues, while five percent of their salaries is deducted as housing charges. They argued that, under government rules, employees are entitled to retain official accommodation until retirement, making a one-week eviction notice a clear violation of regulations.

They further pointed out that the residential quarters and hostels fall under the Education Department, yet the eviction notice was issued by the Director General of the Health Department, calling it an administrative irregularity. They also accused Education Department officials of failing to effectively coordinate with the Health Department before asking teachers to vacate the premises.

Female teachers said they were informed during the summer holidays that attempts were being made to forcibly empty the women's hostel by breaking open its doors, even though the official notice made no mention of the teachers' hostel.

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They described the move as a violation of women's dignity and respect. More than 20 female teachers from Abbottabad, Mardan, Swabi, Malakand, Tangi, and other districts currently reside in the hostels with their children. They warned that eviction without alternative accommodation would severely affect their families and disrupt their children's education.

The teachers clarified that they are not opposed to the establishment of the nursing and medical college. Instead, they suggested using the large hostels and the vast land adjacent to the RPDC for the project, or constructing new buildings, while preserving the existing residential quarters and hostels managed by the Education Department. If evacuation is unavoidable, they insisted that suitable alternative accommodation must be provided first.

Speaking at a joint press conference at the Jamrud Press Club, Noor Sher Afridi, Saleem Wazir, Siddiq Ahmad, Bakht Begum, Ruby Parvez, Safia Begum, and other teachers urged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the Secretary of Education, the Director of Education, and other relevant authorities to intervene immediately.

 They demanded that no teacher be evicted from official residences or hostels without first being provided with alternative accommodation, warning that they would otherwise be compelled to launch protests.