ISLAMABAD: Daily wage teachers employed by various schools and colleges run by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) marked World Teachers Day on Thursday with a protest against unpaid salaries.

There are currently 2,000 daily wage teaching and non-teaching employees working in model colleges and federal government schools in the city.

Employees have said they have not been paid in four months, and the FDE and the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) despite making several commitments are reluctant to regularise their services.

A large group of daily-wage school employees assembled in front of the National Press Club on Thursday and then marched towards D-Chowk, protesting the CADD ministry and the FDE.

`Today is World Teachers Day, but we are forced to mark this day by staging protests. Our salaries have not been paid for the last four months. Despite commitments and the ruling of the Senate, our services are not being regularised, which is an injustice to the teachers, Fahad Miraj Khan, a teacher at the Islamabad Model College for Boys I-8/3, said.

The protesting teachers said they will boycott classes starting Thursday, and protests will be held in schools and colleges against what they called the mistreatment of teachers.

Protesters said that prior to being appointed CADD minister, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry had supported them, but was no longer cooperating with daily-wage employees. They said a massive protest would be organised before the FDE on Oct 17.A Reporter