PoGB: Teacher shortage sparks roadblock protest in Diamer District, students demand action

Diamer [PoGB], November 17 : Amid the ongoing protests in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) over the severe shortage of teachers, students from the Degree College Chilas staged a protest and blocked the main road in the Diamer district.
Students have been grappling with a lack of teachers for several months. They voiced their frustration over the disruption to their education. Protesters explained that no new teachers had been hired in the past four months due to a recruitment ban imposed by the college principal. As a result, the few teachers available are struggling to cover all subjects, leaving students without adequate instructions.
One protester said, "The reason we blocked the road is that the administration is not listening to us. They are doing nothing to address the issue. We have only 26 teachers, and 20 of them are absent. We are urging them to at least provide teachers for core subjects. The administration is wasting our time."
In addition to the shortage of teaching staff, students highlighted the lack of basic facilities at the college, which has further exacerbated the crisis. "We are protesting over the lack of teachers," said another protester. "We have even boycotted classes. We will protest here for two days, but if our demands are not met, we will take the protest to the city. Everyone here is protesting because the principal and the PoGB administration are doing nothing."
The protests have shed light on the severe neglect of education in the region, particularly in Diamer, where several departments--including science, commerce, and humanities are facing major disruptions. In some cases, entire subjects are left without instructors, depriving students of the essential guidance needed to complete their studies.
This protest is part of a larger issue of educational deprivation in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, where limited resources, political instability, and systemic neglect have hindered progress. Many residents view the lack of educational opportunities as a deliberate strategy to maintain control, fearing that an educated population might challenge the region's political status and demand greater autonomy.