ETPB, education dept at loggerheads over land dispute

The clerks and teachers of the Directorate of Education on Wednesday broke seals of four offices of the education department, including the Directorate of Colleges, which were imposed by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) on the midnight between Tuesday and Wednesday in a months-old ownership dispute between the two government departments.

The ETPB’s action came months after its officials had sealed two schools and the directorates of education, college and literacy situated near Committee Chowk on Murree Road. However, soon after the sealing of offices, the employees, teachers and clerks of the directorates broke the seals put in place by the ETPB officials.

During Wednesday’s action, the ETPB officials also pasted a warning that anyone who breaks the seal will be arrested and sent to jail.

The sealed premises included the office of the District Education Authority’s Chief Executive Officer, District Literacy Officer, Deputy Director of Colleges, and the office of the DO Education. A total of 200 employees and officers perform duties in these offices.

According to sources, the ETPB officials sneaked in at midnight on Tuesday Wednesday and sealed all these offices. “When the employees of the Education Department reached the offices at 7am, the main entrance was completely sealed at which all the teachers' and clerical organisations started protests,” they said.

All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) led by Chaudhary Mubashhir, Raja Aftab, Shahzad Kiyani, APCA Colleges President Jamil Awan, Mubashhir Nawaz and Punjab Teachers Union led by Qazi Imran, SES Teachers Association President Shafiq Bhalwalia, and Educators Association President Basharat Iqbal Raja staged a huge protest, claiming that the land was owned by the Education Department and alleged that the ETPB was trying to forcibly take possession of the land.

According to APCA and the teachers' organisations, the offices of the Education Department have been here for 57 years. “It is a vast area adjacent to the Committee Chowk on the central Murree Road in the city. This commercial land of more than seven kanals is worth trillions of rupees. A very influential political group in Rawalpindi and a few businessmen with the connivance of ETPB officials want to build a commercial plaza here after vacating this commercial land worth trillions of rupees,” they said.

Talking to The Express Tribune, District Education Authority Chief Executive Officer Yasin Baloch and legal team in-charge, Nauman, said that in 1970, the Education Department bought this land from the ETPB, for which the official receipt of the paid price is also available.

“Although the Secretary of ETPB in 2012 also accepted the stance of the Education Department on his departmental appeal and sent the case to the Education Department, the local ETPB officials, whom the APCA and teachers’ bodies accused of conniving with the property mafia, are not ready to accept the official payment receipt and the decision of their secretary and have forced them to vacate the property, so that, they could build a commercial plaza here,” they said.

APCA, teachers announce protest

Earlier, the clerks, teachers and non-teaching staff protested strongly against the move and raised slogans, due to which traffic on Murree Road also got jammed.

APCA leaders Chaudhary Mubashhir, Jamil Awan and Punjab Teachers Union leader Qazi Imran announced to hold a huge protest sit-in in front of the ETPB office on Thursday.

Later, on the call of Additional Deputy Commissioner, Director Colleges Sher Ahmad Satti, EDO Education Yasin Baloch, APCA leaders Fida Shah and Chaudhary Mubashhir and teachers’ union leader Qazi Imran met him and apprised him of the sealing of the Education Department.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2023.