Schools & colleges to remain close on January 09

KARACHI: All private schools and colleges in Sindh will be closed on Friday, January 9, 2024, due to a strike called by the Grand Alliance of Private Schools Associations.

The leaders of the alliance took to the press at the Karachi Press Club to make the announcement. The protests would be against the ongoing verification drives being conducted by the Anti-Corruption.

They further stated that the Anti-Corruption Establishment was assigned the task of verifying the freeship lists submitted by regional directors according to a ruling by the Sindh High Court Sukkur Bench on December 8, 2025.

But they accused the anti-corruption teams of overstepping the mandate and undertaking direct inspections inside the schools. The alliance states that these visits violate the Sindh Private Institutions Act, 2013.

They stated that the law gives the Directorate of Private Institutions the power as the only regulatory body for private schools and colleges. The leaders also declared that the private institutions will mark a Black Day on January 8.

They also mentioned that they would be making a new application in the court to contest the current verification procedure. They went on to express their worries about having armed men on the school premises.

The alliance said that this situation has created fear and psychological stress for women teachers and children. They also said that the parents are being questioned unnecessarily, even though they have submitted the required documents and written undertakings. They contended that it is not right to hold the entire sector accountable for supposed individual violations.

They argued that such measures damage the credibility of long-standing educational and charitable institutions. The alliance requested Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah to intervene without delay.