‘Violation’ of govt’s instructions: Private schools sealed in Swat, Charsadda

MINGORA/CHARSADDA: The district administration in Swat and Charsadda on Saturday sealed several private schools for violating the government’s decision regarding the reopening of the private educational institutions.

“We have sealed 35 schools and have arrested eight officials of private schools,” Deputy Commissioner of Swat Saqib Raza Aslam told The News.

He said that the first information reports were also registered against the owners of the private schools. “No-one would be allowed to take law into their own hands,” he said, adding that the owners of the private schools had been warned against reopening the schools before the date announced by the government.

The deputy commissioner maintained that no school would be allowed to open before September 15.

Saqib Raza Aslam asked the owners of the private schools to solve the issue through talks.

He added that the writ of the government would be established at any cost and those violating the law would be dealt with iron hand.

Meanwhile, the Private Schools Management Association Swat condemned the district administration’s move to seal private schools in various parts of the district.

Speaking at a press conference, the association’s president Ahmad Shah criticised the provincial government and the district administration for taking action against the schools.

“It is a conspiracy to shut down all the private schools in the district at a time when cinema halls, transport and tourism were allowed to operate in the district,” he said.

He recalled that in the past, the militants closed the schools and today the government was playing the same role.

Ahmad Shah said that the members of the association would launch protests and they would be joined by the students and their parents.

He demanded the administration to release the arrested principals and academic staff of the private schools and quash the FIRs against them.

The association has announced to hold a series of protests against the government.

In Charsadda, the district administration sealed 10 private schools in the district for opening the educational institutions before the deadline set by the government.

Deputy Commissioner Charsadda Adeel Shah told reporters that the action was taken against the private schools for flouting the government’s instructions regarding the reopening of educational institutions.

Meanwhile, the Private Education Network announced protest against the sealing of the schools.

Speaking at a press conference, Nafeesullah, district head of the Private Education Network, said that the students, parents and staff members of the schools would stage protests against the sealing of the schools if the government did not stop taking action against them.