The building of the Government Girls Primary School in Manokawala village has remained deserted for all these years.
Zaheer Ahmed, an 80-year-old resident of the village, told The Express Tribune that the school building was haunted by jinns. “Even drug addicts do not go there…,” he said.
He said parents do not send their children to the school…they fear their child will be possessed.
Uzma Sajjad, a teacher who joined the school this year, told The Tribune, “Classes are being held at the cattle farm of a local landlord since no one agrees to go into the building.”
She said she had tried to get the children to attend classes in the school building but some of the children said they had heard someone crying in the building.
“The number of students at the school has come down from 200 to 40 over the last two years,” she said.
Manzoor Manoka, the landlord, said no teacher lasted long… it has been the same story for 15 years. “Everyone is afraid of the jinns that haunt the building,” he said.
Monoka said he had provided his land for classes after Sajjad was appointed teacher. Manzoor Doggar, a resident of the village, said they feared for their children and did not send them to school. Rafiq Nayyer, another resident, said, “The lives of our children are more important than schooling.”
Khanewal Education Department media secretary Rana Zafar said the authorities were aware of the apprehensions. He said the Education Department had sent a team which surveyed the villagers’ building. “They are considering shifting the school to a nearby building.”
“We would much rather that the building is renovated. The building is not haunted,” he said.
He said the Khanewal EDO (Education) Ayaz Ahmed will visit the locality soon to clear out the matter.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2012.
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