(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has ordered the release of PKR 78 million in grant-in-aid approved for Peshawar Public School and College to address its ongoing financial crisis. The directive came during a hearing presided over by a bench comprising Justice Syed Muhammad Attique Shah and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah.

The case was brought forward by employees of the school, represented by Advocate Nouman Muhib Kakakhel, who argued that the institution has been struggling to pay staff salaries and maintain operations since its merger with the girls' branch. Despite government approval for a grant-in-aid of PKR 100 million, only PKR 22 million had been disbursed, leaving the remaining amount unpaid since 2022.

Advocate Kakakhel highlighted that the school was financially stable before the merger. However, the Board of Governors (BoG) combined the financially weaker girls' branch with the boys' branch, redirecting the boys' branch's income and savings to cover the deficit of the girls' branch. This decision plunged the institution into a severe financial crisis.

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Justice Attique Shah criticized the government's handling of the matter, remarking that instead of supporting these educational institutions, the government's decisions had exacerbated their financial woes.

During the proceedings, the secretaries of elementary and secondary education, establishment, and finance departments provided updates but failed to satisfy the court regarding the delay in releasing the approved funds.

The bench ordered the immediate disbursement of the remaining PKR 78 million within two weeks and required the secretaries to submit a compliance report. The case was adjourned until February 11, 2025.

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