Malik Muhammad Hassan Khan, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate for NA-248 in the upcoming 2024 general elections, has sparked controversy by incorporating his election campaign into the school he manages.
کراچی میں اسکول کے ایم ڈی نے اپنی انتخابی مہم کے پوسٹرز بچوں کی کاپیوں میں ڈال کر والدین کو بھجوا دیئے#AajNews #election2024 #PPP #NA248 pic.twitter.com/7oJXe6PsSu
— Aaj TV Urdu (@Aaj_Urdu) January 25, 2024
As the managing director of Happy Palace School, Khan reportedly attached campaign pamphlets to students’ notebooks, igniting concerns over the blending of politics with education. His father, Malik Asif, who owns the school, defended his son’s actions, arguing that their focus on providing quality education left them with little time for a traditional campaign.
Despite their stance, parents of students enrolled at Happy Palace School have come forward with accusations of being pressured to vote for Hassan. They claim that the integration of campaign materials into their children’s educational materials is an inappropriate intrusion into their lives.
Expressing their distress, parents have collectively appealed to the Election Commission of Pakistan, urging authorities to ensure that educational institutions remain free from political influence. They stressed their desire for their children to receive an education devoid of partisan campaigning.
In response to these allegations, Malik Asif refuted the claims, asserting that neither he nor his son engaged in pressuring anyone to vote for Hassan. He maintained that their primary commitment was to deliver quality education, and any perceived overlap with the election campaign was purely coincidental.
The Election Commission of Pakistan is expected to investigate the matter to ensure the fair and unbiased conduct of the electoral process. The controversy surrounding the integration of politics with education raises questions about the boundaries between civic engagement and the sanctity of educational spaces.
