Rawalpindi : The Joint Action Committee of All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association along with teachers, students, and parents staged a protest demonstration in front of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) against the shifting of private educational institutions from the Cantonment Board areas.
Traffic remained jammed in Saddar and Mall Road areas due to protest demonstration of private schools teachers here on Tuesday.
Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has already issued final notices to the owners of all private schools and colleges located in residential areas to vacate their buildings before the end of 2021. This decision of RCB was highly appreciated by the residents settled here in cantonment board localities.
The protesters carried banners and placards in their hands raised slogans in favour of their demands.
Leader of Joint Action Committee of All Pakistan Private Schools Association Chaudhry Muhammad Tayyab, former MNA, Malik Abrar Ahmad, joint action committee journal sectary Malik Azhar Mehmood, Nasir Mehmood, Abrar Ahmad Khan, Rana Sohail Naseer Ahmad Janjua, Hafiz Basharat, Mohammad Usman, Nadeem Shiraz, Naseem Malik, Mohammad Asif, Shahbaz Qamar, Chaudhry Amjad Zeb, Mohammad Jameel, besides Abbottabad Pima central officials Wahid Siraj, Irfan Talib, Atif Khan Jadoon, Naeem Ashraf, Amjad Ali, Sheikh Qamar, Atif Aziz, and others spoke during the rally.
Participants chanted slogans and demanded of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the Chief of Army Staff and the Prime Minister that the eviction of private educational institutions from the cantonment areas be stopped immediately.
They also said that in 2017, the government had issued an order stating that private educational institutions should be shifted from cantonments to commercial areas. Representatives of private schools also protested and presented their suggestions to the government.
The protesters also staged a sit-in in front of the GHQ and chanted slogans in favour of the Army Chief and the Pakistan Army. Demonstrators later protested in front of the Ministry of Defence, which is adjacent to the Chaklala Cantt Board, and recorded their protest.
Addressing the protest, Chaudhry Muhammad Tayyab, leader of the Joint Action Committee of Private Schools, said that they have to educate the children of the enemy but the doors of education are being closed for our own children. Middle-class parents will have to enroll in schools away from home, which will increase their expenses. The closure of street schools will leave thousands of teachers unemployed.
Addressing the protest, Chaudhry Nasir Mehmood said that educational institutions like other business centres are very important within the limits of the Cantonment Board.
Addressing the protest, PML-N divisional president and former MNA Malik Abrar said that evacuation of private educational institutions from Cantonment areas was cruel and we stand by the heads of educational institutions and teachers. Private educational institutions are providing the best education and the educational institutions operating within the cantonments are abiding by all the legal requirements.
Across the country, 42 cantonment boards collect crores of rupees in revenue from private educational institutions. Until 2000, regular NOCs were obtained from the station commander to open an educational institution within cantonments. Now why these educational institutions are being evicted from the areas of the Cantonment Board, he said.
Convener Joint Action Committee Chaudhry Nasir Mahmood in his address said that the cantonment administration should provide alternative places for educational activities to private educational institutions. Action against private educational institutions should be avoided until alternative and appropriate space is provided. He said that due to the closure of such a large number of educational institutions, the doors of education would be closed for 3.7 million students.
General Secretary of the Joint Action Committee Malik Azhar Mahmood said that Play an exemplary role and restore the education system by making appropriate amendments in the Cantonment Act.
Member Joint Action Committee Abrar Ahmad Khan said that it is very unfortunate that today's teacher has been forced to take to the streets to save his educational institution. I wish our protest was on how to increase the literacy rate and bring 20 million children to educational institutions.