Latest news with #KhurshidIqbal
Express Tribune
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PHC moved against advance schools fee
A writ petition has been filed in Peshawar High Court (PHC) to stop private schools in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) from collecting summer vacations fee in advance and various types of fees from the students, including promotion fees. A two-member PHC bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Khurshid Iqbal took up the writ petition for hearing filed by Abbas Khan Sangeen advocate. He made the chief minister, chief secretary, Education secretary and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Private School Regulatory Authority (PSRA) as respondents in the petition. The petitioner argued that the collection of admission, examination, promotion and other capitation fees have been declared illegal under the PHC verdict in 2021 and subsequent notifications issued by the PSRA. Furthermore, the schools are bound to give 20 percent concession to one of the two siblings enrolled in a same school, however, educational institutions across the province are not implementing the rules despite orders and repeated notifications from PSRA,. The petitioner submitted that various educational institutions are fleecing the parents of school going children, requesting the court to ensure implementation on the PHC orders and PSRA Regulations 2018. He also requested the court to issue order for refund of amount charged in an account of capitation fees, adding the schools be barred from charging fee in advance as some school are demanding advance fee ahead of summer vacations. The court after hearing the arguments issued a notice to the concerned authority and sought a response.
Express Tribune
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PHC dismisses petition against KMU fees
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has dismissed a petition challenging a 100 per cent increase in annual fees for medical colleges, ruling that the court could not intervene in university policy matters unless there was abuse of authority or violation of statutes. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Dr Khurshid Iqbal heard the petition filed by 119 students including Muhammad Zulqarnain. The petitioners, students of Khyber Medical University and affiliated medical and dental colleges, claimed that the university's decision to increase fees by more than 100 per cent was unfair and violated the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act 2012. The petitioners' lawyer contended that the government's and university administration's decision was a violation of Section 28 of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act 2012. He said that only the syndicate of a public sector university could make decisions about increases in fees and that the increases could not be more than ten per cent. On the other hand, the university's lawyer informed the court that the provincial government and Khyber Medical University formulated the admissions policy as well as the annual fees for each academic session, the students had accepted the fee structure at the time of their admission, and their enrolment in medical colleges was based on college policies and prospectuses. The court was told that the fee increase was discussed in the Khyber Medical University's Finance and Training Committee meeting in 2024 after which the fees had been raised from Rs143,000 to Rs450,000. These recommendations had been presented in the 44th meeting of the University Syndicate and later notified in the college admission policy.
Express Tribune
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Please for stay on exam hall transfers rejected
The Peshawar High Court rejected the Kohat Board's request for an interim injunction on a writ petition challenging the transfer of private school examination halls to government school halls and adjourned further hearings. During the proceedings, Justice Syed Arshad Ali remarked that the Assistant Commissioner would not be allowed to enter the examination halls. A two-member bench, comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Khurshid Iqbal, heard the petition. The petitioner's lawyer argued that the Kohat Board had merged the examination halls of government and private schools, whereas they were previously separate. With matriculation exams set to begin on April 8, this decision posed significant challenges. On this occasion, Kohat Board Chairman Imtiaz Ayub informed the court that, under the Board Act, the Education Board has full authority over examination arrangements. He explained that examination halls had been set up across five districtsKohat, Kurram, Hangu, and Orakzaiwith 319 halls established in government institutions to accommodate 100,000 matric candidates. He further stated that 250 private institutions existed, many of which did not meet the required criteria, for which the board had evidence. He added that even supplementary exams had been conducted in government halls. To curb cheating, the board deemed this step necessary, as cheating mafias were actively involved, often bringing outsiders to sit for exams on behalf of actual students. He claimed that a private school had been caught engaging in this malpractice, and the court could investigate further. According to him, these mafias operated systematically, controlling exam halls to facilitate fraud.
