KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the provincial authorities concerned to provide textbooks to students as per policy.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito also put secretaries of education and finance departments and chairman of the Sindh Textbook Board as well as provincial law officer on notice for Sept 18, on a petition filed over non-provision of textbooks to students.

Saifullah Baloch along with another petitioner approached the SHC and submitted that the respondent departments had released an amount of Rs22.5 million in favour of the Sindh Textbook Board, but it has yet to distribute books/syllabus to students.

They asserted that due to non-availability of books, teachers were unable to teach students and the students had been deprived of their of basic and fundamental rights by the respondents. The bench in its order said, “Issue notice to the respondents, AG Sindh for 18.09.2024. Meanwhile, official respondents are directed to provide books to the students as per policy”.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2024