EVERY day I witness hundreds of students from Rawalpindi and other cities attending schools and colleges in different sectors of Islamabad. In developed countries primary and secondary education is free.

If a child intends to enroll in a public school he/she gets admission irrespective of the family’s legal or illegal status in the country.

However, the child would get admission only in his respective school zone or in the school located falling in or around his residential area.

However, this does not seem to be the case in Islamabad. It is we, the residents of Islamabad, who, apart from other taxes, pay all municipal taxes. However, ineligible children belonging to Rawalpindi or other cities are getting education in Islamabad schools and colleges at our expense. How come and under which logical rationale?

It would also be pertinent to mention here that every sector in Islamabad like F 6, F 7, F 8, G 7, G 8 or G 9 has a typical social setup. In every sector people belonging to different ethnic and regional backgrounds but more or less of the same class or status reside.

However, their children study in elite private schools and all these people shop and entertain at same places. Hence, keeping in view the said differences as well as similarities, children belonging to a posh area like E and F 7, F 8 sectors could be very well distinguished from a mediocre neighbourhood like G 7, G 8. Such is the difference between social and economic strata of families residing in the areas divided just by a road.

However, owing to their humble backgrounds most of the students belonging to areas outside Islamabad share very little commonalities with our children.

Thus, they usually resort to hooliganism and vandal activities often seen in the shape of damaging public transport buses, rioting on roads damaging public and private properties, etc.

I would request the authorities concerned to devise a concrete and foolproof admission policy in public schools wherein only residents of Islamabad must be eligible for the same.

Also, if someone resorts to furnishing fictitious information, a stern action must be taken against him/her.

MAKHDOOM SAIF Islamabad