TIMERGARA: The All Teachers` Coordination Council, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Wednesday threatened that thousands of teachers of state run schools would besiege the provincial assembly building in Peshawar on March 25 if the government didn`t give them promotions and allow elections of teachers unions.

The announcement was made during a protest demonstration held in front of the district education office here on Wednesday.

The rally was addressed by ATCC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chairman Mian Faig Zada, its action committee chairman Islamuddin, vice chairman Malik Khalid Khan, general secretary Muzamil Khan Turrabi, finance secretary Siraj ud Din, Haji Roidar, ATCC former chairman Syed Mohammad Shah and district leaders of the council.

The speakers said talks between the government and teachers` leaders would be held on March 24. `If the talks fail then thousands of schoolteachers will stage a sit-in in front of the provincial assembly on March, 25, said Malik Khalid.

He alleged that school buildings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been turned into police stations.

`The independent monitoring unit (IMU) which the government set up in the education department has no utility and is only costing the exchequer millions ofrupees.

`The teachers are forced onto roads because the present government is not sincere to resolve their grievances,` said Muzamil Khan Turnabi. He asked the participants to attend the March 25 protest rally at Peshawar in large numbers.

Meanwhile, the protesting teacherslatertook out aprocession from the DEO office to the Timergara press club, where they blocked the road for a while.

The teachers demanded notification of their timescale promotion, audit to the education employees` foundation fund, announcement of teachers` union elections and notification about the SST promotion.

Also in the day, teachers of government colleges tool< out a protest rally against the federal government`s decision of income tax deduction from their salaries. Chairman of All Professors Association, Malakand division, Professor Rafiullah, Lower Dir president Professor Nazir Mohammad, president of Postgraduate College, Timergara, Professor Aminul Haq and general secretary Siraj ud Din addressed the rally in front of the press club.

While rejecting tax deduction from their salaries, the protesting college teachers demanded of the government to withdraw the decision. They also demanded equal service structure for college and university teachers. The professors also demanded restoration of M.

Phil allowance.