PESHAWAR: The district administration, acting on the directions of the high court, sealed 45 educational institutions, offices and saloons operating in the residential buildings in the University Town as different utilities disconnected electricity, gas and water supply connections to their premises.

Additional assistant commissioner Syeda Zainab Naqvi led the action, according to a press release issued here on Monday.

Premises of NCS School, Bloomfield School, The City School, Club College, Concordia College, Kin Fed College, SAKANS College, Ayesha Institute of Modern Studies and National Institute of Modern Languages were sealed for operating in residential areas. Besides, a number of salons for males and females were also sealed.

During the campaign, officials of Pesco, SNGPL, WSSP, Capital Metropolitan Government West Zone disconnected water, gas, electricity and telephone connections to the buildings and issued notices to several others for carrying out illegal commercial activities in residential areas.

Meanwhile, parents deplored the action, saying the students were already suffering due to the prolonged closure of schools on account of Covid-19-induced restrictions, summer vacations and flash floods, and now the district administration’s action would amount to playing with their future.

They urged the Peshawar High Court chief justice, the chief minister, minister for elementary and secondary education and minister for higher education to take notice of the matter.

Meanwhile, a representative of private schools told this news agency that they would challenge the action in the higher court, and that they would hold classes online to save precious time of students till the court verdict.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2022