CDA asked to give schools ‘sufficient’ time to relocate

IHC wants progress report on transfer of schools within a week

ISLAMABAD: The civic body of the federal capital has been asked to ensure that sufficient time is provided to schools to build campuses on the alternate plots allotted to them.

This was stated as a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising the court’s Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq, as they heard a case regarding the transfer of the 81 private schools and nine daycare centres from the residential areas of the city.

During Wednesday’s hearing, the court asked the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) lawyer Kashif Malik whether he had submitted a report to the court on the matter.



Malik replied in the affirmative, adding that those schools which have been provided with alternative plots but did not shift their premises to those plots, their allotment will be cancelled.

Moreover, he said that they will provide daycare schools with land around residential areas.

At this, Chief Justice Minallah asked whether sufficient time will be provided to these schools to shift their premises.

Malik stated that they will do as per the directions of the court.

Justice Farooq stated that if sufficient time was not provided to schools to shift, it would create problems for students, as well as parents.

He went on to state that if school owners do not shift their premises in around a year or year and a half. Once this period expires, the CDA can shut down the violating schools.

CJ Minallah directed that those schools which have been provided with alternative plots should be called and informed about the requirements.

He further posed about the schools which have not been allotted alternative land and asked Malik what did the CDA intend to do. The civic authority’s counsel stated that these schools will also be provided with alternative plots through an open auction.



In this regard, he said that the CDA had identified land in Sector I for this purpose.

A lawyer representing the private schools stated that CDA’s Building Regulations Act of 2005 had provisions for schools in residential areas.  Pointing toward the master plan of the city, Justice Farooq stated the basic purpose of the plan was to establish a balance between demand and supply.

The court asked the CDA to provide a progress report regarding the transfer of private schools from residential areas within a week and adjourned the case until January 31.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2019.