11 elite schools in the federal capital that offer O and A levels are operating without valid registrations.

According to Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) documents, 70 educational institutions in Islamabad that offer O and A levels are not registered with the regulatory body.

`We have issued a public notice that expires on May 8, after which we will start a campaign against all unregistered schools,` Peira Chairman Hasnat Qureshi said.

According to the documents, out of a total of 70 institutions, 32 have not applied for registration, 30 had applied but were not granted registration yet and six had applied for fresh registration.

Between them, these institutions cater to 39,127 students, of which 21,770 are boys and 17,357 are girls.

These schools are at odds with Peira over regulation of fees and last year, several elite schools had challenged the regulatory body`s rules, which were notified in July 2016. Along with other stringent rules, Piera had capped the fee structure, fixing a monthly upper limit of Rs8,350 for matric, FA and FSc and Rs12,525 for O and A levels. If a school wanted to increase fees it would have to convince the regulatory body, which will in turn determine the new fee.

Peira`s rules were notified after a number of parents staged protests, leading the prime minister to issue a directive ordering private schools to not raise fees in the year 2015.

Many elite schools had challenged these rules and last year, the court restrained the regulatory body from fixing fees and the stay is valid till today to the extent of fee enhancement.

However, elite schools are not registering their schools with Peira to pressurise it.

Private school operators say Peira rules demand unjustified fees for the renewal of registration which is why they are not registering their schools. Educationist Faisal Mushtaq, who works at one of the schools which petitioned, said the court had restrained the regulatory body from taking corrosive measures.

`We do not oppose registration but with a justified fee. Peira is demanding Rs400,000 per year which is not acceptable for schools,` he said.