IHC bans corporal punishment at schools

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court has banned corporal punishment at education institutes, GNN reported.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the plea of singer Shehzad Roy’s against corporal punishment.

Singer and rights activist Shehzad Roy filed a petition called for a ban on the use of violence as a means to discipline children in school.

Secretary interior, secretary law, secretary education, secretary human rights were made respondants in the petition.

Inspector General of Police Islamabad was also made a party to the petition.

Shehzad Roy told the court that last year, a student died after being beaten up at a school in Lahore, adding that the matter of abolishing the use of corporal punishment was of public interest.

He said children’s physical and mental health is severely affected by corporal punishment.

The court ordered the interior ministry to take steps to protect the rights of children under Article 14 of the Constitution.

The court, while issuing notices to the respondants, sought a reply on the matter from the federal government by March 5.