Punjab’s Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat is facing severe backlash after accusing government school teachers of theft, with netizens now demanding the minister’s resignation, citing his blatant disrespect toward educators who continue to provide services even while operating without basic facilities in government schools.
During a speech at the Bahauddin Zakariya University convocation in Multan on June 24, 2026, the minister claimed, “Government school teachers remove ceiling fans and carry them away when they leave.”
Social media did not react kindly to the passing comments, with educators and citizens expressing outrage at the minister’s generalization. Critics argued that the statement unfairly stigmatises an entire profession. Many netizens provided context, explaining that teachers often remove fans and bulbs before summer vacations to prevent theft in unattended school buildings, as they are personally held accountable for missing inventory.
One netizen noted, “What would they do when they won’t get there right, would they run their household or buy a fan in 15000.”
Others noted that equipment is frequently transferred between institutions under formal departmental directives, particularly when schools merge or change management.
The public reaction has been swift and fierce. One user demanded, “Teacher’s humiliation is unacceptable! Rana Sikandar Hayat, apologize.”
Echoing the sentiment, another commented, “It is a truth that if the government school system was efficient, people would not be forced to enroll their children in private schools.”
Others highlighted the grim realities of the sector. A user remarked, “Sir, which Pakistan are you living in? In Pakistan, people do not even spare fans in mosques, and government teachers are often left with nothing.”
Furthermore, a user bluntly stated, “This is nonsense. No teacher acts this way; the ministers and advisors are completely out of touch.”
The discourse has now broadened into a critical debate regarding school security, the lack of institutional infrastructure, and the accountability of officials. Observers point out that if district-level committees conduct proper inventory verifications during official handovers, such accusations of theft should be legally impossible.
