ISLAMABAD, March 7: Students and teachers of over 30 schools and colleges in the federal capital on Thursday found their institutions locked by non-teaching employees demanding a pay raise and other facilities.

As a result, some students could not appear in their ongoing exams. The protesting employees also blocked Kashmir Highway for two hours and staged a sit-in outside the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).

On the other hand, the FDE has instructed heads of the institutions to give the students another chance to sit the exam.

The protest was started after a notification issued on Monday stated that the employees of Pak Secretariat would get 20 per cent raise in their salaries. The education department employees were of the view that without taking to the streets the government never resolved their issues.

They cited the examples of AGPR employees and doctors who arranged protests and got pay increases.

It may be recalled that last week the Secretariat employees locked their officers within the premises till 7pm and after two working days the government decided to increase their salaries, they added.

On Thursday morning, buses of most of the schools could not pick students as their drivers went on strike. The employees` demands include 20 per cent increase in salaries, time-scale promotion and allowances.

Mqbool Ahmed, a citizen, told Dawn: `The strike and protest by the employees during the final exams have created more problems for parents because if we do not take our children to their schools, they will lose an academic year,` he said.

A student said she reached her school at I10/4 in the morning but the gates locked and the staff did not let her in. `We had to wait for around one hour after which the gates were opened,` she said.

In some schools in F-6/2, Gholra and other areas, the heads of the institutions had to call the police to help them hold the exams.

Mohammad Ayaz, an official of the Kohsar police, confirmed that the management of a school located in Street 25, F-6/2, had called them.

He said police officials sent to the school held talks with the employees and opened thegates after which the exams were held there.

About 1,000 employees staging a sit-in outside the FDE since Wednesday moved to the Kashmir Highway and blocked it for around two hours.

Later, on the request of the traffic police, they left the road and returned to FDE and staged a sit-in there.

Abdul Rauf, a member of the joint action committee of the non-teaching staff association, claimed that 20 federal government colleges observed complete. The managements of 423 schools also faced problem, he added.

`Police had to break locks of a school in F7. We did not resist because we did not want to create problems for the students. But from Friday we will not allow anyone to enter the schools,` he said.

Sadagat Abbasi, the chairman of the committee, said CAD had invited them for talks but the employees were of the view that the negotiations should be held at the place where they were holding the protest.

`Secretary CAD Riffat Shaheen Qazi and Joint Education Adviser Rafique Tahir Picture on Page 17 did not bother to visit the sit-in which shows that they want to create problems for the ministry. We are considering starting a campaign for removal of both the officials.` he said.

The secretary and the adviser CAD were not available for comments. Additional secretary Abdul Latif Laghari said he was not authorised to comment on the issue.

When contacted, director admin FDE, Shahid Khan said he visited CAD on Thursday and was trying to resolve the issue.

`It has been decided that students who could not appear in the exams will be given another chance. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved on Friday,` he said.

Protest of special education employees The employees working with the directorate general of special education and its allied centres/institutions also held a protest rally at Zero Point against what they said discrimination in salary packages.

Because of the protest, traffic remained jammed on the road. The employees said they also wanted 20 per cent pay increase.