Sindh private school associations to observe strike on Jan 9 against verification drive

KARACHI (Dunya News) - All private schools and colleges across Sindh will remain closed on January 9 as the Grand Alliance of Private Schools Associations has announced a strike against the ongoing verification drive by the Anti-Corruption Establishment.

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, alliance leaders including Haider Ali, Shehzad Akhtar, Tariq Shah, Anwar Bhatti, Danish Zaman, and Nasir Zaidi said the strike aims to ensure the "dignified implementation" of a court order and to stop what they described as unlawful interference in the private education sector.

The leaders pointed out that a December 8, 2025, verdict by the Sindh High Court’s Sukkur Bench tasked the Anti-Corruption Establishment with verifying freeship lists submitted by regional directors. However, they claimed that anti-corruption teams had begun direct inspections of schools, which they said violates the Sindh Private Institutions Act, 2013, giving the Directorate of Private Institutions sole regulatory authority.

The alliance also announced that a “Black Day” will be observed on January 8, and a new court application challenging the verification process will be filed. They raised concerns about the presence of armed personnel in schools, which they said is causing fear and psychological stress among female teachers, students, and parents.

The association emphasized that private institutions, despite limited resources, are providing affordable education and freeships to millions of children while many children in Sindh remain out of school. They urged Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah to ensure that verification is conducted only through the Directorate of Private Institutions, avoiding direct visits to schools.

From January 6 to 8, joint consultative meetings with parents and school administrations will be held across all districts in Sindh to discuss the matter.