SHC bars schools from charging extra fees

Gives Sindh govt final warning over reply on transferring power for ombudsman appointment

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) restricted private educational institutes on Thursday from collecting any amount other than the tuition fees on account of additional charges.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed, remarked that private schools had commercialised the pursuit of knowledge.

Addressing Sindh private institutions director Dr Mansoob Siddiqui, the court inquired, "Do you know what is happening in schools across the province?"

At this, Siddiqui informed the court that the schools had been instructed not to take even a rupee more than the tuition fees, adding that charging additional fees from students was "unfair."

The court ordered private educational institutes to not to collect any additional amounts from students other than the tuition fees, directing the private schools director to negotiate with all the stakeholders and settle the matter in accordance with the previous court orders. The court also ordered the director of public schools to submit a follow-up report on the matter.

Final warning

The court also issued final warning to the Sindh government to submit its reply on a petition challenging the transfer of the governor's authority to appoint the provincial ombudsman to the chief minister (CM).

Hearing the plea, the court inquired whether the bill passed to transfer the governor's powers violated any law.

At this, the petitioner stated that the authority was in fact "snatched from the governor," which was "unlawful."

Later, the court gave final warning to the Sindh government to submit its reply on the petition, stating that if it did not do so, the court would announce the verdict without waiting for the reply.

Plea seeks transfer of cases

Meanwhile, a two-member bench of SHC, headed by Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh and comprising Justice Omar Sial, sought arguments from the parties on petitions pertaining to tax fraud.

During the hearing, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) submitted a written reply on a plea seeking the transfer of tax fraud cases from it to other departments, under the NAB Amendment Ordinance, 2019.

The anti-graft watchdog maintained in its statement that some people from Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana too had filed similar petitions.

Basing his argument on this ground, the NAB prosecutor requested the court to combine all pleas seeking the transfer of tax fraud cases from NAB to other departments.

The court ordered to combine the pleas and sought arguments from the parties at the next hearing on March 27.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM PPI

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2020.