Part of school demolished despite court orders commission tells court

LHC gives defendant time to file reply after his team demolished parts of a school despite standing restraint orders.

LAHORE: A local commission constituted by the Lahore High Court on Thursday reported that the revenue department had demolished a huge portion of a charitable school for boys despite standing restraining orders by the court.

Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan of the LHC had constituted the commission to investigate facts into the demolition of a part of a charity school, the Pakistan Foundation Technical Institute on Walton road. During the last hearing, the Lahore Commissioner Jawad Rafique had claimed that no portion of the school had been demolished. The commissioner had said that since no demolition had taken place, court orders had not been violated.

The school had filed a contempt of court petition and pleaded that LHC to have the revenue department and city district government restrained. However, parts of the school on Walton road were demolished on October 8 and deprived its students, belonging to low-income families, of continuing their studies.

The local commission submitted its report on Thursday that it had visited the site and inspected the demolished area in presence of revenue officers and school staff. The commission stated that revenue officers had demolished a servants quarter, hall and boundary wall, at the school.

“Huge portion of school has been demolished including superstructure built there on along with other valuable items installed therein have been removed or taken away by the demolition staff,” the local commission stated in its report.

After reading the commission’s report, Commissioner Lahore division sought time to file a reply.

The court accepted this request and allowed the commissioner to file his reply till December 19, affixing it as the next date for hearing. Assistant Commissioner Model Town Division Irfan Memon and three Patwaries were also present in the court.