Plan to outsource schools, hospitals opposed

MINGORA: Criticising the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s plan to outsource school and health facilities, Jamaat-e-Islami Khyber Pakhtunkhwa North chief Inayatullah Khan on Thursday said the move would increase the problems of the people.

Speaking at a press conference at Swat Press Club, he said the provincial government was trying to evade its constitutional responsibilities.“It is the responsibility of the state to provide peace, healthcare and free education. And the government must honour the promises made with the people,” he stressed.

The JI leader said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had prepared a plan to hand over more than 1,500 schools and colleges as well as around 58 health facilities to the private sector. “We will resist the move as such steps would create serious difficulties for the people,” he went on to add.

Inayatullah Khan said that more than 5.5 million children were already out of school in the province. “And the government is handing over existing ones to private hands instead of constructing new schools,” he added.Regarding healthcare, he maintained that privatising public hospitals under this policy would make treatment more expensive and deprive poor citizens of essential health services.