PESHAWAR, Oct 10: The owners have threatened to take to streets against the government`s decision to close private educational institutions in residential areas.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, they said that more 30 educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities were closed in University Town.

They said the closure of educational institutions in University Town would deprive 15,000 students of education and render 3,000 employees jobless.

Syed Mehr Ali Shah, the representative of the school owners, said that the institutions were closed down by the administration following an order of Peshawar High Court.

`It is right that commercial activities are not allowed in residential areas but there is no single plot for educational institutions in any of the localities except HayatabadTownship,` he said.

Mr Shah said that the institutions had been functional for the past two decades but neither the government nor the judiciary took notice of it.

He said that some people were allotted plots for schools in Hayatabad but those were still lying unused. `These plots should be allotted to the owners of the affected schools,` he added.

Mr Shah said that they had respect for the decision of judiclary but they were concerned about the future of students, teachers and administrative staff of those institutions.

Flanked by the owners and heads of private schools along with students and their parents, he said that it was not fair to take action against private educational institutions without giving them any alternative.

He also appealed the Peshawar High court to give relaxation to the owners ofthose institutions till allotment of plots by the government to them and construction of buildings to save the future of students.

Mr Shah alleged that police and Frontier Constabulary personnel misbehaved with administration of the schools and sealed the buildings, disconnected their water and power supply and did not allow the owners to collect their necessary documents.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has directed to extend the deadline for shifting of private schools and hospitals in certain residential areas, mainly in University Town Peshawar.

Without giving any specific date for extension of the deadline, the chief minister directed the officials to give more time to owners for shifting their schools, hospitals and other offices from residential areas.