Govt given last chance to reply in free education case

LAHORE
The Lahore High Court Thursday gave last opportunity to the federal and Punjab government to submit replies in a petition seeking directions for the enforcement of Article 25 of the Constitution and provision of free education to the children up to the age of 16.
Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi of the Lahore High Court passed the order on the petition filed by Judicial Activism Penal Chairman Azhar Siddique. The court put off hearing until October 16.
In his petition, the lawyer-petitioner had submitted that the free and equal education for all children is the
responsibility of the state under Article 25 of the Constitution.
The petitioner’s counsel said the government was spending public money on other projects like metro bus and orange train.
The parents were forced to pay double fee for their children's education, he said. The petitioner submitted that private schools were looting the general public but the government authorities were playing their role as silent spectators.
He requested the court to order the government to suspend the notification of those private schools charging double fee from the students and order the government to provide free and equal education to all students.
Court employee held for graft: The Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) Lahore Region on Friday claimed to have arrested a civil court employee on the charge of misappropriation of judicial papers.
According to the Anti Corruption Establishment officials, the accused was identified as Waqar Hussain who was also nominated in an FIR 1458/13 registered with the Islampura Police Station on the complaint of Muhammad Amjad Khan. Further investigations were underway.