DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Parents have urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to withdraw notices issued by the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) to owners of residential properties being used for commercial purposes, saying the move could force the closure of 22 private educational institutions in Hayatabad and disrupt the education of more than 25,000 students.
Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) on Wednesday, Parents Action Committee president Shandana Zaman, vice-president Nafees Khan and other office-bearers called on Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to intervene and ensure the continuation of educational activities in the affected institutions.
Ms Zaman said the notices had caused widespread concern among parents, particularly as they were issued in the middle of the academic session. She urged the provincial government to suspend the notices in the interest of students.
She claimed that Hayatabad, with a population of over 200,000, had only six government primary schools, two higher secondary schools and two government colleges, making private educational institutions indispensable for meeting the area’s educational needs.
According to the committee, more than 25,000 students are enrolled in the 22 private schools that have received the notices. Closure of these institutions, Ms Zaman said, would leave thousands of children without schools and compel parents to seek admissions in educational institutions located in distant areas.
The committee urged the chief minister to direct the PDA to immediately withdraw the notices to spare parents and students further uncertainty.
The representatives warned that if the notices were not withdrawn, they would launch a protest campaign outside the KP Assembly and other public places. They also said they would approach the Peshawar High Court to seek relief and protect the educational rights of the students.
