ISLAMABAD: For over 15 years, thousands of daily-wage employees, including teachers and non-teaching staff serving in Islamabad’s federal educational institutions, have faced systemic exploitation. Despite decades of service, generations of students taught, and tireless contributions to the education system, they remain deprived of permanent employment, timely salaries, and due recognition.

Employees allege that while institutional heads continue to rely on their work, Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) and clerical staff delay forwarding salary bills to the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR), leaving many without pay for up to six months at a time.

The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has repeatedly told employees to “continue working until regularisation,” assuring them of full benefits and allowances. Yet paradoxically, the very same institution is contesting their regularisation in the Islamabad High Court. Officials consistently claim “no vacant posts,” even though hundreds of positions have remained unfilled over the years. During new recruitments, those waiting for regularisation were sidelined, effectively stripping them of their rights.

In 2017, the Islamabad High Court ordered regularisation of these employees, but the verdict has yet to be implemented. Many have spent years fighting legal battles, filing appeals and writ petitions, only to be met with bureaucratic delays and excuses, such as claims that “a summary has been sent to the federal cabinet” — a document employees allege does not exist.

“Daily wagers are trapped in an endless cycle of exploitation, given false promises of permanent status while their labour is exploited,” said one of the petitioning employees.

Now, the employees are making an urgent appeal to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of the matter. They demand immediate regularisation, issuance of pending appointment letters, and timely payment of withheld salaries and allowances.

“This is not charity, it is our fundamental right,” the employees stressed. “Justice delayed for 15 years is justice denied. We can no longer wait.”