SHC takes suo motu notice of schools being run by private parties

At least 126 government-run schools had reportedly been handed over .

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court Chief Justice Mushir Alam took suo motu notice on Thursday of a newspaper’s report regarding handing over of at least 126 government-run schools to different parties in Karachi. The court called reports from the Sindh chief secretary, education secretary and Karachi administrator in this regard.

The chief justice, who went through the newspaper’s report published on February 27, converted the clippings into constitutional petition to initiate further proceedings.

According to the report, around 126 government schools run by the provincial and city government had been handed over to private parties, who had little or nothing to do with education.

The report, which is based on a letter written by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s former minister Khalid bin Wilayat addressed to the Sindh chief minister, said that the land allotted to establish new government schools was given to investors at the behest of the officers of provincial education and law departments.

The report further said that while the chief minister had ordered his inspection committee, chairperson of the anti-corruption establishment, director schools and the Sindh education secretary to hold an inquiry and submit their report.

“Taking notice of the Mubeena Memorial School handover, the Sindh education secretary, who happens to be the brother-in-law of the president, had suspended the assistant district officer (education) of Gulberg Town for his alleged involvement. But the secretary was pressured to withdraw the suspension orders and stop official investigation,” the report stated.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2013.