Jamaat-e-Islami President Manam Zafar sat-in protest against the alleged mismanagement and corruption in the Intermediate Board of Education. Zafar criticized the composition of the board’s committee saying that it only comprised education department employees and not senior professors or representatives from Karachi’s universities and civil society.
“You have made a committee of 12 people and all of them are employees of the education department. The committee should have included people like senior professors from Karachi University, NED University, the stakeholders of the city, and the people of Karachi Chamber of Commerce, the people of the civil society of the city,” Zafar argued during the protest.
Zafar also questioned the infusion of tax revenue from Karachi, saying that while Karachi was giving highly to the national budget, it got minimal dispensation for its infrastructures upon educational setups. “Karachi city gives tax and has a budget of Pakistani currency (PKR) 454 billion. Where is that budget? You are destroying the dreams of the children and making their lives a joke,” he said. He also raised the issue of the poor assessment of results where students are dissatisfied with their exams, many are demanding a recheck to prove the performance.
Zafar demanded entirely change the committee, wanted university professors, industry leaders, and members of civil society be brought into this committee that will be working for the betterment of the education system. He warned that if their demands are not addressed within 48 hours, the protest would escalate, including a demonstration outside the Chief Minister’s House. “This is our clear demand. If within the next 48 hours, you do not change the committee of the students, and do not make a committee on those people, who are the real stakeholders of this city, then we will escalate the protest,” Zafar concluded.
