August 19, 2008	Tuesday	Sha’aban 16, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 18: The Private Schools Management Association (PSMA) has sought the government’s help as the Cantonment Board Faisal (CBF) has decided to seal off any private school operating in the residential area of Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

Speaking a news conference on Monday, PSMA senior vice-chairman Sharaf-uz-Zaman maintained that many of these private schools were as old as 20 years. “Although they are being run in residential areas, they have been paying a professional tax and a hoarding tax to the CBF,” he said, adding that the board was now insisting that the status of the school buildings be changed to that a “commercial” concern.

He said a PSMA delegation had taken up the issue with the education department with a request to help solve the issue but no steps had been taken so far.

Mr Zaman said that the private schools were catering to the educational needs of about 70 per cent population of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, besides paying 11 different taxes to the government.

He suggested that the provincial government and the CBF provide land in all blocks of Gulistan-i-Jauhar to the managements of these schools where they could move after raising buildings for the purpose.

If the suggestion was not acceptable, the government/CBF should set up their schools on the lands reserved for educational institutions and the PSMA would transfer the existing schools’ students to the new ones, he added.

Vowing to continue the peaceful protest against the CBF move, the PSMA leader said that the students and teachers of all private schools operating in Gulistan-i-Jauhar would hold a rally in front of the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday.