Summer vacation fee ban extended to September 24

Petitioner’s lawyers say schools are using different tactics to force parents to pay

PESHAWAR: Private schools in the province have been stopped from charging fees for summer vacations from students by a high court while a stay in the case until September 24.

This was directed by a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), comprising Chief justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Naeem Anwar, as it resumed hearing on Wednesday a case on fees charged by schools for summer vacations and transport.

During Wednesday’s hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer Abbass Sangeen told the court that private schools were allegedly using various tactics to charge parents for three months of summer vacations.

Advocate Zahidullah, also representing parents told the court that despite directives of the courts, private school owners are charging parents for the three-month school and transport fees.

Petitioner’s lawyer Advocate Nazish Muzaffar stated that school owners are torturing students by advertising their names on school boards in a list of defaulters to shame them into paying the fees.

The court expressed its resentment over these measures adopted by private school owners and directed them not to collect fees until September 24 as he extended a stay.

Chief Justice Seth further summoned the representatives of private schools, directing them to submit their replies on the matter by the next hearing of the case.

The case was then adjourned.

Notices over PM’s Dr Shakeel Afridi comments

The federal government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Interior Ministry secretary and the superintendent of the Adiyala jail over remarks attributed to Prime Minister Imran Khan on the transfer of Dr Shakeel Afridi.

The notices were issued by a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), comprising Justice Roohul Amin and Justice Ahmad Ali, as they heard a contempt case on Wednesday.

Writ petitioner Khurshid argued that the PHC has restrained the government from handing over of the alleged US spy to any country, including the US. However, he contended that in a recent interview, Prime Minister Imran Khan had suggested that he may be open to swapping Dr Afiya Saddiqi with Dr Afridi.

He also urged the court to try the prime minister for contempt in the case of Dr Afridi and demanded that a contempt notice should be initiated against the respondents.

The court subsequently issued notices to the parties and adjourned the case until the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2019.