At last: Police vacate all education institutes
Schools had been under occupation since August 11, causing classes to be delayed.
ISLAMABAD:
Studious children and many parents breathed sighs of relief on Friday after the last few schools occupied by ‘imported’ policemen were finally vacated.
The police have now evacuated all colleges and schools in the federal capital, which had been occupied since August 11. The cops have been moved to the Pakistan Sports Complex.
Police contingents summoned from various districts of Punjab and Azad Kashmir and Frontier Constabulary were residing in the educational institutes.
Initially, around 40,000 security officials were housed in 60 schools and colleges. The institutes were slowly vacated thanks to public pressure and court orders. The institutes were supposed to open on August 11, when summer vacations ended.
The government was then forced to make alternative arrangements. More than 60 educational institutions were housing these police officers for one-and-a-half months and the vacations were extended thrice.
Parents and teachers also protested during the week outside a few colleges and held the government responsible for the impact on the education of their children and students.
Meanwhile, the Federal Directorate of Education has sought a complete report on damages to these institutions caused by the police personnel during their stay. The letter issued on Friday by Administration and Finance Director Ghulam Sohoo requested submission of complete damage assessment reports for classrooms, boundary walls, entry gate, washrooms and sanitary systems.
“It would be more appropriate if snaps of the broken items, classrooms, washrooms and any slogans written on walls may be attached with the reports as evidence,” he directed the principals.
Sohoo told The Express Tribune that they would take up compensation for any losses or damage caused with the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2014.
Studious children and many parents breathed sighs of relief on Friday after the last few schools occupied by ‘imported’ policemen were finally vacated.
The police have now evacuated all colleges and schools in the federal capital, which had been occupied since August 11. The cops have been moved to the Pakistan Sports Complex.
Police contingents summoned from various districts of Punjab and Azad Kashmir and Frontier Constabulary were residing in the educational institutes.
Initially, around 40,000 security officials were housed in 60 schools and colleges. The institutes were slowly vacated thanks to public pressure and court orders. The institutes were supposed to open on August 11, when summer vacations ended.
The government was then forced to make alternative arrangements. More than 60 educational institutions were housing these police officers for one-and-a-half months and the vacations were extended thrice.
Parents and teachers also protested during the week outside a few colleges and held the government responsible for the impact on the education of their children and students.
Meanwhile, the Federal Directorate of Education has sought a complete report on damages to these institutions caused by the police personnel during their stay. The letter issued on Friday by Administration and Finance Director Ghulam Sohoo requested submission of complete damage assessment reports for classrooms, boundary walls, entry gate, washrooms and sanitary systems.
“It would be more appropriate if snaps of the broken items, classrooms, washrooms and any slogans written on walls may be attached with the reports as evidence,” he directed the principals.
Sohoo told The Express Tribune that they would take up compensation for any losses or damage caused with the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2014.