All private schools and colleges across Sindh will remain closed on Friday, January 9, following a strike announced by the Grand Alliance of Private Schools Associations.
Alliance leaders made the announcement during a press conference at the Karachi Press Club. The protest targets ongoing verification drives launched by the Anti-Corruption Establishment.
They explained that a December 8, 2025 ruling by the Sindh High Court Sukkur Bench assigned the Anti Corruption Establishment the task of verifying freeship lists submitted by regional directors. However, they alleged that anti corruption teams went beyond this mandate and began conducting direct inspections inside schools.
According to the alliance, these visits violate the Sindh Private Institutions Act, 2013.
Under the law, they said, the Directorate of Private Institutions is the only authorized regulatory body for private schools and colleges.
The leaders announced that private institutions will observe a Black Day on January 8. They also confirmed plans to file a fresh application in court challenging the current verification process.
They further raised concerns over the presence of armed personnel inside school premises. The alliance said this environment has caused fear and psychological stress among female teachers and minor students. They added that parents were also being questioned unnecessarily, despite already submitting required documents and written undertakings.
They argued that holding the entire sector accountable for alleged individual violations is unfair. Such actions, they said, damage the credibility of long established educational and charitable institutions.
The alliance urged Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah to step in without delay. They called on the provincial leadership to ensure that verification is carried out strictly through the Directorate of Private Institutions and not through direct school inspections.
Looking ahead, the alliance said it will hold joint consultative meetings with parents and school administrations from January 6 to January 8. These meetings will take place across all districts of Sindh as part of their next phase of action.