SHC informed: 3,526 Sindh schools named after influentials

KARACHI: The Sindh School Education department has informed the Sindh High Court that 3,526 government schools across the province are named after politicians.

Earlier on February 10, 2023, the Sukkur bench of the Sindh High Court had ordered that the names of government institutions, gates, and other public places constructed with public money but named after influentials, landlords, and waderas except that of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto should be removed within three weeks. Expressing displeasure the Sindh High Court also directed the provincial government departments including local government, health, education to submit reports about such facilities. The double bench comprising Justices Salahuddin Panhwar and Abdul Mubeen Lakho ahd passed the order on a petition filed against changing the name of the Gambat Institute of Medical Science (GIMS) to Pir Abdul Qadir Shah Jilani and the tendency to name institutions after the name of influentials.

According to the report submitted by the Sindh School Education Department (copy of which are available with The News) to the Sindh High Court that there are 3,526 schools across the province named after individuals. They are four in Hyderabad, 25 in Matiari, 34 in Tando Allahyar, 879 in Tando Muhammad Khan, 2 in Thatta, 18 in Central Karachi, 25 in East Karachi, 2 in Kiamari Karachi, 1 in Korangi Karachi, 13 in South Karachi, 1221 in Jacobabad, 3 in Qamber Shahdadkot, 295 in Kashmore, 24 in Larkana, 55 in Mirpurkhas, 11 in Tharparkar, 3 in Umarkot, 5 in Nowshahrofiroz, 17 in Sanghar, 8 in Shaheed Benazirabad, 5 in Ghotki, 8 in Khairpur Mirs and 868 schools in Sukkur are named after the names of the politicians. According to the report in Dadu, Jamshoro, Badin, Shikarpur, Sajawal, Karachi Malir, and Karachi West there was no such educational institution.