Court Suspends KP Government’s Public School Privatization Plan

ABBOTTABAD: The Peshawar High Court Abbottabad Bench has suspended the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s notification to privatize public schools across the province. The court ordered the Chief Secretary, Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, and all Deputy Commissioners to submit formal replies.

This decision came after a petition filed by Dr. Muhammad Ishaq Zakariya and Sardar Shuja Ahmad challenged the government’s plan. The petitioners argued that privatizing public schools violates the Constitution’s guarantee of free and quality education for all children.

During the hearing, the bench emphasized that education is a public service and warned that privatization could limit access for students from low-income families. The court directed that no steps toward privatization be taken until the case is resolved.

Dr. Muhammad Ishaq Zakariya welcomed the ruling as a victory for educational rights. He stated that the plan could have increased inequality by making quality education less accessible to poor students.

He urged the government to focus on improving public school infrastructure, addressing teacher shortages, and enhancing transparency instead of privatizing schools. He insisted education must remain a government responsibility rather than a commercial enterprise.