Govts yet to submit reply on plea for free education

Petitioner says state representatives obliged to provide education to citizens

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court accepting requests of the federal as well as the provincial governments’ counsels gave them another opportunity to submit replies on a plea seeking free education between the ages five to 16.

In the earlier proceeding, LHC’s Justice Shahid Waheed had sought replies, but the governments, both federal and provincial, could not submit their replies.

On Monday, as the proceedings started the lawyers representing both the governments appeared before the court and sought some time to submit their replies.

The court admitted their requests and directed them to submit their replies by the next date.

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Tanveer Sarwar had filed a plea in the LHC seeking directions to the quarters concerned to implement “The Punjab Free & Compulsory Education Act 2014” which guarantees free education. The petitioner in his plea had implored the court that it is the obligation of the state representatives to provide quality education to their citizens under Article 25 of the Constitution.

He contended that the Punjab government had passed “The Punjab Free & Compulsory Education Act 2014” for the purpose of giving free education to the youth from the ages of five to 16, but no notification had been issued yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2021.