PESHAWAR – The privatization of educational institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has triggered widespread protests across the province. For the third consecutive day, students marched through streets in Takhtebai, Katlang, Timergara, Swat, and several other cities.
They warned that their campaign would intensify if the government refused to reverse its decision.
In Government Degree College Takhtebai, hundreds of students continued their protest for a second straight day. They marched toward the Tehsil Complex, chanting slogans against the provincial government. Eventually, they blocked Malakand Road for more than an hour, shouting “Save Education” and “No to Privatization.”
Meanwhile, officials including the Assistant Commissioner Takhtebai and the Deputy Superintendent of Police arrived for talks. After a brief negotiation, they convinced students to reopen the road. However, student leaders made it clear that their demonstrations would continue until the government abandoned its plan to hand public colleges and schools to private operators.
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Student leaders condemn govt education policy
Speaking to the crowd, Hafiz Farmanullah, Provincial General Secretary of Jamiat Talaba-e-Islam, Hammad Khan of Pakhtun Students Federation, PPP leader Shaukat Khan, and Advocate Mian Shah Hussain, Vice President of Takhtebai Bar, criticized the provincial government. They said the privatization decision would close the doors of education for poor students and leave many employees jobless.
They demanded the immediate cancellation of the privatization policy, urging the government to keep education accessible to everyone. “If our demands are ignored,” they warned, “we will expand the protests across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”
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In Katlang, members of the Insaf Students Federation (ISF) staged a sit-in outside their local college. They blocked the Katlang–Buner Road and carried placards rejecting the government’s education policies. Addressing the crowd, ISF President Usama Safi accused the government of turning education into a business after scrapping the Bachelor of Studies programs in public colleges.
At the same time, hundreds of students in Timergara poured into Shaheed Chowk, blocking traffic for hours. They chanted slogans against the outsourcing policy, calling it a “war on public education.” Student leaders said the government had made the province a “testing ground for failed experiments.” They demanded an immediate withdrawal of what they called an anti-education policy.
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In Mingora and Kabal, students held demonstrations rejecting the privatization of educational institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They declared that education was a basic human right, not a business venture. “Privatization will push poor students out of classrooms,” said one protester. “Education will become a privilege for the rich.”
The protests lasted several hours and disrupted traffic at Nishat Chowk and nearby roads. In addition, student organizations announced that if their demands were not met soon, they would launch a province-wide movement against the privatization plan.
