LAHORE: After the Punjab government`s announcement that it will make private schools to withdraw this year`s fee hike, an association representing a sizable segment of such institutions in the province said on Wednesday they would move court against the decision.

However, there has been no reaction so far from the representatives of the chains of various elite schools over the government`s proposed intervention in their affairs, especially with regard to their fee structure.

`We reject the Punjab government`s decision. We will not withdraw raise in the fee as we have to increase the salary of teachers, pay rent of buildings and utility bills which increased on regular basis, the All Pakistan Private School Management Association says.

At a press conference here the association`s representatives, Adeeb Jaadwani, Amjad Ali and Javed Anjum, said the private schools would withdraw increase in fee if the government paid their taxes, rent and utility bills. They alleged that in fact the government was behind the protest against the private schools.

The association said the government should `take care` of elite schools charging huge amounts in fee from students and not the `low fee`private institutions. `Treat our low fee schools separately,` the association demanded, adding it would challenge the government decision in court.

The Punjab government sprung into action after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took notice of the parents` protest against substantial fee hike by private schools across the country. The government has also announced conducting a three-year audit of the private schools and fixing their fee in the light of its report.

The Punjab government is also going to introduce legislation to regulate the private schools` affairs.

Education Minister Rana Mashhood had said on Tuesday the private schools would refund this year`s fee hike within two months and restore the last year`s fee structure.

PROTEST: The Punjab University students on Wednesday blocked the newly constructed Karim Block bypass roadfor severalhoursfornot building an overhead bridge for them.

They also burnt tyres to register their protest. Holding placards and banners, they shouted slogans against Punjab government and the PU administration for not constructing the bridge for the students.

A representative of the protesters told Dawn that two PU students suffered serious injuries when they were hit by a speeding vehicle whilecrossing the road. He said both students were under treatment at the Jinnah Hospital.

He said the students would continue their protest till their just demand was met.

BOOK LAUNCH: Punjab University`s Spanish Assistant Professor Dr Maria Maldonado`s book `Urdu Evolution and Reforms, was launched here on Wednesday.

Spealcing on the occasion, ViceChancellor Prof Mujahid Kamran said Urdu language was 2,000 years old but there was a common perception it was spoken in Mughal era.

He said there were evidences that the Urdu was spoken in 13th century.

He congratulated Dr Maria Maldonado for doing research on evolution of Urdu and identifying reforms in the language.

LLB: The PU on Wednesday declared the results of LLB Part-III annual examination 2015.

NEW APP: Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) chairman Dr Umar Saif announced providing advance IT based facility for helping Punjab health authorities in tracking the progress of vaccination drives and set targets for such initiatives.

`We have developed a smartphone application for vaccination staff to quickly register every booster on a central data hub. The staff used to meet 21 percent of their targets in the past but with the new application it will jump to 91pc.