KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday extended till Dec 12 its interim stay order that restrained private schools from raising their fee by more than five per cent.

Headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, a two-judge bench was hearing a constitutional petition jointly filed by parents of children studying in different private institutions against the school managements for increasing fee by more than five per cent in violation of the rules and regulations.

At the outset of the hearing, the counsel appearing for a private school requested the court to separate the present petitions from the previous ones.

He requested the court for time submitting that the counsel for other respondent schools also wanted to argue the case.

The bench directed the lawyers from all sides to put forward their arguments in the next hearing.

Meanwhile, the bench extended its order restraining the private schools from raising their fee by more than five per cent as well as taking coercive action against the students whose parents did not wish to pay exorbitant fee till Dec 12.

The court also directed the education department and respondent private schools to file their respective comments on the matter by the next date of hearing. The provincial law officer was also put on notice by the court.

The petitioner parents submitted that the school managements could not increase the fee by more than five per cent in an academic year under the existing rules and regulations. However, they said, some private schools increased the fee by more than 10pc in violation of the rules.

The petitioners asked the court to direct the authorities concerned to restrain the school managements from increasing the fee by over five per cent and to follow the rules and regulations.

Conviction set aside

Meanwhile, an appellate bench of the high court set aside the sentence awarded to a worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in a case pertaining to shoot-out with police and possession of illegal weapons and explosive material.

Appellant Irfan alias Kala was sentenced to a 19-year term by an antiterrorism court.

He was arrested in 2016 in the remit of Pirabad police.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2017