04 December 2004	Saturday	21 Shawwal 1425

PESHAWAR, Dec 3: The provincial chapter of Tanzeem-i-Isatiza Pakistan has urged the government to end the affiliation of schools and colleges with the Aga Khan Board and threatened to march towards Islamabad if the demand was not met.

Speaking at a meeting of district representatives of the organization here on Friday, Tanzeem's provincial chief, Khairullah Hawari, warned that his organization would launch a countrywide campaign against the government if its demands were not met.

Mr Hawari said the Tanzeem also opposed the winding up of teachers' gratuity and pension as well as privatization of public sector educational institutions. He accused the government of taking decisions against the interests of students and wishes of the teaching community.

He said that the government was depriving the teachers of benefits like pension and gratuity to meet the demands of the IMF and World Bank about structural changes in the educational system. The Tanzeem, he added, would not allow the government to implement what he called an anti-people agenda.

PROTEST PLAN: The provincial nazim of Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba, Shahab Hussain, has criticized the government's decision to allow the establishment of the Aga Khan Examination Board and said that his organization will launch a movement against the decision, our correspondent adds.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he rejected a claim that the Agha Khan University was universally recognized. He said the institution was mainly involved in welfare projects, mostly in health sector, and had nothing to do with education and examination.

The IJT chief said the move would create a system of class-based education in the country just like the A & O level system introduce by previous governments. He said the government was pursuing policies which would deprive people of education opportunities and level ground for the award of contract of education system to the AKU.

The government's move, he said, had created a sense of resentment among college and school students against the AKU board. He regretted that the government was not doing anything to defuse the issue.

Outlining the protest plan, he said that corner meetings would be held in all educational institutions of the province and handbills would be distributed among the public.

He said that posters and stickers against the AKU board would be pasted on walls. A referendum and an all-partt conference would be held on Dec13, to be followed by a protest day on January 7 in different schools, colleges and universities, he added.