08 March 2005	Tuesday	26 Muharram 1426

LAHORE, March 7: Punjab Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja has said that there are no differences between federal and Punjab governments over the Aga Khan Board.

In a Press statement issued here on Monday, the law minister said the federal government had allowed the AKB after an approval from the National Assembly. Therefore, he said, there is no question of opposing the move by the Punjab government.

With regard to the AKB affiliation, he said public sector schools were functioning under intermediate and secondary education boards in the province. He said this status would remain unchanged. He said the AKB establishment would not affect the existing education system in Punjab.

On the other hand, he said, private sector educational institutions were free to seek affiliation with any educational board. He said private institutions' managements would continue to make their own decisions.

The law minister said the Punjab government had never forced private educational institutions to seek affiliation with any particular board, nor would it do so in the case of the AKB. Therefore, he said, there is no question of any legislation by the provincial government in this regard.