Safeguarding the youth: Contempt proceedings sought in schools’ security case
NGOs and social activists have initiated a contempt application against the government
NGOs and social activists have initiated a contempt application against the government. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The provincial authorities have yet to provide effective security to private educational institutions, which face threats of Army Public School-like terrorist attacks, despite the lapse of the six weeks granted by the Sindh High Court.
This was alleged in a contempt application, a copy of which available with The Express Tribune, filed in the high court by the Pakistan Institute of Labor Education and Research, the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and human rights activist Javed Iqbal Burki, against the provincial authorities.
As Karachi's private schools had received threats of attacks, the petitioners had moved the court to seek a direction for the provision of security by the authorities.
Burki, who filed the contempt plea on behalf of the petitioners, referred to the SHC's division bench order dated May 25 when the judges had ordered a survey to pinpoint which schools are vulnerable and the provision of adequate security arrangements by the provincial government. The bench had further directed the authorities concerned to submit a compliance report covering all these issues within four weeks.
The applicant claimed that no report was filed despite the lapse of the four weeks granted by the court. Burki recalled that the court had, on July 27, granted an additional two weeks to the authorities for compliance of the May 25 order.
Through this order, specific directions were given that the chief secretary should submit a compliance report within two weeks. Apart from this, he was also directed to file parawise comments on a contempt application, filed by the petitioners. "No such comments have been filed by the date," he added.
The court was informed that the education secretary had on August 27 filed a so-called compliance report on behalf of the chief secretary. He alleged that this is a clear violation, subversion and a blatant attempt to undermine the order dated July 27, which clearly ordered the chief secretary to submit a compliance report.
"It is, therefore, obvious and apparent that by not submitting a report the chief secretary has violated and deliberately disregarded the orders dated May 25 and July 27 of this court," the applicant alleged.
Burki argued that a bare perusal of the report clearly showed that no compliance of the courts two orders had been done, inter-alia, because no survey was conducted as ordered by the court and no information was submitted regarding whether the burden of the additional security has been passed onto the children.
Furthermore, most of the documents attached to the compliance report pre-date the petition and are dated as far back as 2009.
"Most of the attached documents also only pertain to private schools and non-government schools," the applicant highlighted, adding that therefore, it was obvious that the so-called compliance report is a deliberate attempt to subvert the court's directions and disregard them.
The applicant argued that the alleged contemnors have consciously, deliberately and willfully subverted, undermined and violated the court's orders and that they will continue to do so unless the application to initiate contempt proceedings against them is granted.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2015.
The provincial authorities have yet to provide effective security to private educational institutions, which face threats of Army Public School-like terrorist attacks, despite the lapse of the six weeks granted by the Sindh High Court.
This was alleged in a contempt application, a copy of which available with The Express Tribune, filed in the high court by the Pakistan Institute of Labor Education and Research, the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and human rights activist Javed Iqbal Burki, against the provincial authorities.
As Karachi's private schools had received threats of attacks, the petitioners had moved the court to seek a direction for the provision of security by the authorities.
Burki, who filed the contempt plea on behalf of the petitioners, referred to the SHC's division bench order dated May 25 when the judges had ordered a survey to pinpoint which schools are vulnerable and the provision of adequate security arrangements by the provincial government. The bench had further directed the authorities concerned to submit a compliance report covering all these issues within four weeks.
The applicant claimed that no report was filed despite the lapse of the four weeks granted by the court. Burki recalled that the court had, on July 27, granted an additional two weeks to the authorities for compliance of the May 25 order.
Through this order, specific directions were given that the chief secretary should submit a compliance report within two weeks. Apart from this, he was also directed to file parawise comments on a contempt application, filed by the petitioners. "No such comments have been filed by the date," he added.
The court was informed that the education secretary had on August 27 filed a so-called compliance report on behalf of the chief secretary. He alleged that this is a clear violation, subversion and a blatant attempt to undermine the order dated July 27, which clearly ordered the chief secretary to submit a compliance report.
"It is, therefore, obvious and apparent that by not submitting a report the chief secretary has violated and deliberately disregarded the orders dated May 25 and July 27 of this court," the applicant alleged.
Burki argued that a bare perusal of the report clearly showed that no compliance of the courts two orders had been done, inter-alia, because no survey was conducted as ordered by the court and no information was submitted regarding whether the burden of the additional security has been passed onto the children.
Furthermore, most of the documents attached to the compliance report pre-date the petition and are dated as far back as 2009.
"Most of the attached documents also only pertain to private schools and non-government schools," the applicant highlighted, adding that therefore, it was obvious that the so-called compliance report is a deliberate attempt to subvert the court's directions and disregard them.
The applicant argued that the alleged contemnors have consciously, deliberately and willfully subverted, undermined and violated the court's orders and that they will continue to do so unless the application to initiate contempt proceedings against them is granted.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2015.