Islamabad News

Lives of 200 students at stake Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Khalid Iqbal Rawalpindi More than 200 students are facing threat to their lives as the dilapidated building of the Government Zia-ul-Uloom High School in Raja Bazaar is on the verge of collapse. In 1969, a seminary was established with the name of Noorani Zia-ul-Uloom Madrassa. It was later given under the control of the Auqaf Department. In 1972, it was given the status of a school and handed over to the Punjab Education Department. Two years ago, the Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi Bench, directed both the Punjab Education Department and Auqaf Department to chalk out a plan for the renovation of the dilapidated school building with mutual consent, but no action was taken to-date, said Government Zia-ul-Uloom High School Headmaster Abdul Aziz Malik while talking to ‘The News’ on Monday. According to him, the school building could collapse any time due to its dilapidated condition. He said that concerned authorities should take immediate action for its repair and renovation to save students from any mishap. He said that he had written many letters to the executive district officer (EDO) in this regard but to no avail. The personal assistant (PA) to the District Zonal Officer (Auqaf), Imran Arif, when contacted by ‘The News,’ said that the building was the property of the Auqaf Department but the Noorani Zia-ul-Uloom Madrassa had illegally occupied it. The headmaster of the school, belonging to the madrassa, did not allow them to take possession of the property. He said that the Auqaf Department would start its renovation work after consulting the District Education Department. An official at the Education EDO’s office, on condition of anonymity, told ‘The News’ that there were no differences between Auqaf and Education departments on this matter. He said that they would start renovation work of the school building immediately to save lives of students. However he said that there was no plan in this regard. Shopkeepers around the school, while talking to ‘The News,’ said that there was a tussle going on among the school management, Auqaf Department and the District Education Department over the possession of the property. According to them, the tussle has been delaying the building’s renovation work for the last many years. Many students have left the school due to dilapidated condition of the building, they said. Muhammad Amjad, father of a student of 7th class, said, “Due to the fear of its collapse, I have come here to get school leaving certificate of my son. I can’t send my son to the dilapidated building for studying anymore.” “The government should shift the school to some other building for the time being till completion of its renovation work,” said Nasreen Kanwal, mother of another student. “The matter can be solved in no time if all three parties think about the safety of schoolchildren,” said Raja Muhammad Aslam, a shopkeeper. caption