August 07, 2008	Thursday	Sha’aban 4, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 6: The Private Schools Management Associa-tion (PSMA) has urged the authorities concerned to restrain the Cantonment Board Faisal (CBF) from harassing managements of some 300 schools operating in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

According to the association, the CBF has issued notices to the schools’ managements warning them to stop using their residential premises for commercial purposes (private school education) within seven days to avoid sealing of the premises.

A PSMA leader, Sharfuz-zaman, told a news conference on Wednesday that the tone of the the notice was “threatening”.

“The board is already charging Rs4,000 per annum under the head of professional tax, in addition to around Rs3,000 annually for putting up signboards, from each of the schools falling in the cantonment area,” he said

He argued that since the Sindh education department was the controlling and registration authority of all private schools in the province, the CBF should have taken both the education department and its directorate of private institutions into confidence before issuing such “threatening notices”. —Staff Reporter