The All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA) has urged the government to announce special relief measures for low-fee private educational institutions in the budget 2026-27, including tax exemptions and financial support for infrastructure development.
In a joint statement, APPSMA leaders, including Central President Kashif Adeeb Jawadani, Secretary General Amjad Ali Khan, North Punjab and Islamabad President Abrar Ahmed Khan, North Punjab Vice President Colonel (Retd) Fawad Hanif, Lahore and Kasur President Chaudhry Muhammad Abbas, and Rawalpindi Division Women Wing President Sakina Taj, called for education-friendly policies in the upcoming budget.
They demanded complete tax exemption for low-fee private schools until the country achieves universal literacy, arguing that such institutions were providing quality education at affordable rates and supporting the public education system.
The association also urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to introduce interest-free loans on easy terms to help schools improve infrastructure and provide modern educational facilities.
The APPSMA leadership further sought exemption from the mandatory Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Point of Sale (POS) system for schools charging monthly fees below Rs 4,000, saying the requirement imposed an unnecessary financial and administrative burden despite existing fee regulations.
The association said nearly 27 million out-of-school children needed to be brought into the education system and stressed that the private education sector should be strengthened through incentives and supportive measures.
The leaders also called for the inclusion of teachers working in low-fee private schools in the Benazir Income Support Programme and other social protection initiatives to improve their financial security.
Expressing hope that their proposals would be considered, the APPSMA leadership urged the government to adopt policies that promote literacy, educational access and national development.