Rehbar-e-Khel Teachers deserve a better ordeal
Dr Aftab Jan
This write-up is not just an appeal written in words, this is a voice built from years of silence, sacrifice, and quiet suffering, where Rehbar-e-Khel teachers entered the system with faith in a government policy that clearly asked for seven years of service before regularisation, and they accepted this condition without hesitation even though such a long probation period is rarely seen anywhere.
Because they believed that a promise made by the government carries weight, carries responsibility, and carries truth, yet today after completing those seven long and exhausting years, after giving their strength, their youth, and their stability to this system, they still stand in uncertainty, waiting for a decision that should have come the moment their service was completed.
And this delay has now crossed the limits of administration and entered the space of injustice, because when a person fulfils every condition and still remains deprived of their right, it breaks something deeper than patience, it breaks trust.
These seven years were not simple years of employment, they were years of endurance where Rehbar-e-Khel teachers lived a life that most cannot imagine, surviving on a monthly honorarium of just six thousand rupees, an amount that does not match the basic cost of living.
An amount that forces a person to choose between needs and responsibilities, yet within this limitation they carried the burden of families, they supported aging parents, they raised children, they faced social pressure, and still they never stepped back from their duty
They stood on school grounds in freezing winters when the cold cuts through the body, they stood in intense summer heat when even standing becomes difficult, they trained students with limited resources, they built discipline, they promoted fitness, and most importantly they kept the youth engaged in something meaningful at a time when society is struggling with rising drug abuse, frustration, and directionless energy.
In this silent role they became protectors of a generation, not through speeches but through daily presence, through effort, through consistency, yet while they were shaping the strength of society, their own lives remained unstable, unprotected, and ignored.
The pain becomes heavier when we look at the emotional side of this long wait, because these teachers are not just employees, they are sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers who carried hopes within their homes, families looked at them with expectation that after seven years things would change, that stability would come.
That respect would come, that a proper income would allow them to live with dignity, but today those same families are still waiting, still adjusting, still compromising, and this continuous uncertainty creates a silent pressure that grows every day, it affects mental peace, it affects confidence, it affects the ability to plan a future, because when a person does not know what tomorrow holds, even the present becomes heavy, and this is the reality that Rehbar-e-Khel teachers are living every single day.
What makes this situation even more painful is the truth that some Rehbar-e-Khel teachers did not even survive to see the end of this long journey, they passed away while still waiting for their regularisation, they gave their years, they gave their service, they gave their loyalty, but they left this world without receiving what was rightfully theirs, and their families were left behind in complete silence.
With no financial security, no compensation, no recognition of the years of service that their loved ones gave, their children now grow up with questions that have no answers, their parents carry grief that is mixed with injustice, their spouses face the harsh reality of survival alone, and this is not just a personal loss, this is a collective failure of a system that could not stand by its own people when it mattered the most, because a system that benefits from the service of its workers must also take responsibility for them and their families, especially when they are no longer alive to speak for themselves.
The delay in implementing the policy now raises serious questions that cannot be ignored, because the policy exists, the condition is fulfilled, and the service is complete, so what remains is only the decision, and when that decision is delayed without reason, it creates a feeling that the struggle of these teachers is being overlooked.
That their patience is being taken for granted, and that their rights are being treated as optional, which is not acceptable in any just system, because justice delayed at this level does not remain a simple delay, it becomes denial, and denial of rights after years of service creates frustration that slowly turns into disillusionment, not just among these teachers but among the wider society that watches and learns from these situations.
Rehbar-e-Khel teachers have already given everything that was asked from them, they have completed seven years of service that demanded consistency and commitment, they have worked under financial stress that tested their endurance, they have remained loyal when leaving would have been easier, and they have continued to contribute to the development of youth even when their own lives lacked stability, so at this point asking them to wait further is not just unfair, it is unjust, because there comes a time when patience must be answered with action, when commitment must be rewarded with recognition, and when promises must be fulfilled without further delay.
Sir, this is a moment that demands clarity and courage, because the power to end this long suffering lies in your hands, the authority to implement the policy lies with you, and the responsibility to restore trust lies with you, and the decision you take now will not just impact these teachers, it will define how the system is seen by the people, whether it is seen as a structure that stands by its word or one that allows promises to fade with time, and this is why immediate implementation of the policy is not just necessary, it is urgent, because every additional day adds to the pain, every delay deepens the uncertainty, and every moment of silence increases the feeling of neglect among those who have already waited too long.
Along with regularisation, there is also a moral responsibility towards the families of those Rehbar-e-Khel teachers who passed away during this period, because their service cannot be erased by their absence, their contribution does not end with their death, and their families deserve support that reflects respect for what was given, whether through financial assistance, job support, or any meaningful recognition that ensures they are not left alone in their struggle, because justice is not complete if it only addresses the living and ignores those who sacrificed everything without receiving anything in return.
Seven years of patience, seven years of struggle, seven years of silent service, this is not a small demand, this is a lifetime phase that has already been given, and now the only thing that remains is for the system to respond with fairness, with urgency, and with responsibility, so implement the policy now for Rehbar-e-Khel teachers, end this prolonged wait, restore their dignity, support the families who have suffered loss, and show that in this system, commitment is valued, sacrifice is recognized, and promises are honored, because if this moment is lost, it will not just be a delay, it will become a permanent mark of broken trust that no words can repair.
