KARACHI, Aug 31: Parents, teachers and students along with office-bearers of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association condemned the Sindh Education Department's denationalization of educational institutions , and demanded it to immediately withdraw its decision of handing over St Patrick's and St Joseph's colleges to its previous owners.

Participants of the meeting, held at the Government PECHS College for Women on Tuesday, also called for reviewing the denationalization policy, immediate removal of Sindh Education Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro, allocation of five per cent of the country's GDP for education, and keeping education among top most priorities.

The SPLA praised all public representatives and government functionaries including the city nazim and Sindh Ombudsman Yousuf Jamal for their support against the denationalization campaign, and urged them to pressurize the Sindh Education Department to withdraw its unjust decision.

The meeting demanded the Sindh Ombudsman to issue a notice to the Sindh education minister for her alleged links with "traders of education" in the province. It also expressed concern over the said minister's negative statements against teachers.

Prof Manzoor Hussain Chishti and Prof Syed Riaz Ahsan of the SPLA said that after denationalization of colleges, education would become out of reach for people from middle and lower-middle classes. They added that teaching and non-teaching staff at these educational institutions would also be handed over to private owners.

Later, participants of the meeting held a protest demonstration outside the Govt PECHS College for Women against denationalization of colleges and chanted slogans against the Sindh education minister. - PPI