SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s former lawmaker Abdul Karim was on Wednesday released from the Swabi judicial lock-up after remaining imprisoned for 51 days in a corruption case, his brother Abdul Nasir said.

The Peshawar High Court had on Monday ordered his release after he had moved the PHC following rejection of his bail by a local court.

However, on Tuesday, the local authorities had said they had yet to receive the bail order.

Mr Karim was an adviser to the chief minister during the previous PTI government. He was arrested on July 4 in the case lodged against him on June 2 in Swabi circle by the anti-corruption establishment (ACE).

The case pertains to age relaxation in appointment of a peon in a government primary school here.

On Tuesday, Mr Nasir said the bail had been dispatched to the superintendent of Swabi judicial lock-up by post, and that his brother was expected to be released on Wednesday (today).

The FIR registered against Mr Karim under sections 163/5, 162 and 409 of PPC also mentions various other names, including former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, former provincial education minister Shahram Khan Tarakai, former MPAs Rangaiz Khan and Aqibullah Khan, and local officials of the education department, but none of them had been arrested except Mr Karim. Some of the booked people have already secured bail-before-arrest in this case.

POOR RESULTS: Parents, politicians and civil society activists on Wednesday expressed concern over the ‘deteriorating’ education standards in government schools.

Parents said the recent matriculation examination results had shattered their hopes as majority of students only managed to get just the passing marks.

In a statement, Ashfaq Khan, ANP’s Razaar tehsil general secretary, said the education department was responsible for the poor performance of students in the board examinations.

Javid Inqilabi, PPP’s divisional president, said the current education system had utterly failed to deliver.

Rabnawaz, PML-N’s Swabi tehsil general secretary, said successive education ministers had no interest in improving standards of government schools, and they were only interested in appointing their cronies as Class-IV employees in schools.

Parents said it was responsibility of the schoolteachers to create an environment where students could get quality education.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2023