Hearing a petition filed by singer Shahzad Roy, the Islamabad High Court on Thursday banned corporal punishment at educational institutions.

Roy pleaded the court that a student after he was beaten at a school in Lahore last year. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the singer’s petition.

Justice Minallah remarked that the National Assembly had also passed a resolution on this issue. Petitioner’s counsel appealed to the IHC chief judge to strike down the law enabling teachers to beat students until a new law criminalising corporal punishment can be framed.

The counsel further said that the children’s physical and mental health is severely affected by the physical punishment.

The court ordered the interior ministry to take steps to protect the rights of the students at educational institutions.