- These schools will remain under the administrative control of Punjab govt: Law officer
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday dismissed petitions challenging the Punjab government’s initiative to outsource public schools under the Public-Private Partnership program.
A single-member bench, comprising Justice Shahid Karim, heard the petitions and dismissed them following statement by the provincial law officer.
The law officer told the court that only non-operational public schools are being outsourced and that even after outsourcing, these schools will remain under the administrative control of the Punjab government.
The petitioners argued that privatizing government schools violated the law and would lead to increased fees, depriving underprivileged children of basic education.
It is to be recalled that back in September, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated the Public Schools Reorganisation Programme (PSRP), a significant initiative aimed at saving Rs40 billion and creating job opportunities for 70,000 educated youth.
Earlier on December 1, the LHC dismissed petitions challenging outsourcing the management of public sector schools through the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF). The high court had observed that the policy decisions require political judgment, not legal interpretation.
“Functionality of the Foundation is governed and regulated by the Government. Petitioners in fact are seeking exercise of judicial review jurisdiction in the functioning of the department, which is intrusion in the absence of any illegality, voidness and perversity is unwarranted,” Justice Asim Hafeez remarked in his judgement dismissing a petition by parents.
Syed Ahsan Abbas and other petitioners sought a declaration against the policy decision of the Punjab government to outsource the running and management of the public schools under the Public School Reorganization Programme (PSRP) through public-private partnership initiative.
They also challenged the policy on the premise that it violates the constitutional guarantee of free education extended under Article 25-A of the Constitution.
They further argued that no legislative instrument was available to support the programme or the policy. It was submitted that the statutory framework provided under the Punjab Education Foundation Act of 2004 does not support the decision to outsource the schools.
