Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday said that public education had been wrecked under a conspiracy.
“Education was being used to generate profit,” he said during a hearing regarding “exorbitant fees” being charged by education institutions offering O and A level qualifications. As the hearing went underway, a counsel for private schools said that rising fees were always approved by the pertinent registration authority.
Part of the three-member bench Justice Ijazul Ahsan said, “We need to examine the basis for this.”
The top judge questioned, “Do schools have the right to charge whatever they please? If not, who regulates a fee hike?”
“Education is a fundamental right,” the CJP said, adding the world has many great universities. “What have we achieved? Oxford and Harvard are (examples) before you.” He said that a forensic audit would make everything clear, adding that exorbitant fee was being charged to further interests of the select few. “Everyone has equal right to grow. Think of your children too,” he said. The three-judge bench will resume hearing the petition.
Published in Daily Times, October 2nd, 2018.
