Court Suspends Privatization of Govt Schools

The Peshawar High Court’s Abbottabad Bench on Tuesday suspended the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s notification to privatize public schools across the province, halting the controversial move until further notice.

The court also instructed the KP Chief Secretary, Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, and all Deputy Commissioners to submit detailed written responses on the matter.

The ruling came during a hearing on a petition filed by advocates Dr. Muhammad Ishaq Zakariya and Sardar Shuja Ahmad, who challenged the provincial government’s plan to transfer the management of government schools to private organizations. The petitioners argued that the decision violated constitutional provisions guaranteeing free and quality education for every child in Pakistan.

During the hearing, the bench observed that education is a fundamental public service and warned that privatization could limit access for children from low-income families. The court ordered the provincial government to refrain from taking any further steps toward privatization until the case is fully adjudicated.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Dr. Zakariya hailed the court’s intervention as a major victory for education rights in the province.

“This decision underscores the judiciary’s role in safeguarding every child’s right to education,” he said. “The privatization policy would have deepened social inequality, restricting quality education to only those who could afford it.”

Dr. Zakariya urged the government to prioritize strengthening the existing public education system instead of outsourcing it. He called for investments in school infrastructure, teacher recruitment, and transparent reforms, emphasizing that “education must remain a public responsibility, not a commercial enterprise.”