Moalims

Karachi

The Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices to the provincial chief and education secretaries, director for schools and others on a petition by parents seeking action against a private school's management for increasing tuition fees by 14 percent.

Petitioners Shahrukh Shakeel and others submitted that their children were studying in the primary section of a private school in North Nazimabad which had recently imposed a 14 percent fee hike in violation of Sindh Private Institution Ordinance 2001.

Their counsel, Mahreen Ibrahim, submitted in the petition that the school administration, in a bid for greater profits, was using amendments made in the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 - which requires educational institutions to collect advance tax from students that is adjustable against tax liability on parents - to justify the raise.

She contended that the amendment which the school management was relying upon states that advance tax could not be collected if the fee structure does not exceed Rs200,000.

The court was prayed to direct the school administration to act in accordance with the law and direct the education department to take action against the management. The SHC bench headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, while issuing notices to the provincial chief and education secretaries and the school management, restrained the latter from enforcing the fee increase.

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