KARACHI: Sindh Education and Literacy Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar said on Monday that those, who have tried to demolish certain parts of the Government School Jufelhurst Building at Soldier Bazaar, would be given exemplary punishment so that no one could dare to occupy any educational building illegally.
He expressed these views while visiting the demolished part of the building.
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Hussain Mehnati and other stakeholders, including Education Schools Secretary Abdul Aziz Okaili, Karachi Schools Director Dr Riaz Ahmed Siddiqui and other officers of the education department, the additional IGP and police officers accompanied the minister.
He appreciated the role of the civil society, media and other stakeholders in raising the issue while talking to media persons outside the school.
Dahar said that an FIR had been lodged against the accused and they would be given an exemplary punishment in order to discourage those who were willing to occupy government land illegally.
“The Sindh chief minister has approved Rs 30 million for the renovation of such schools which have been declared historic heritage and Government School Jufelhurst will also be restored to its original shape”, the minister assured.
Dahar was of the opinion that it was high time that all stakeholders should work on the same page to counter land mafia and disallow anyone to occupy educational buildings by any means.
The minister expressed his displeasure over the untimely police action despite many complaints lodged and said that the relevant police station did not respond quickly and the delay caused more damage to the school building.
He said that the government was monitoring the whole scenario and the accused found involved in this mess would be taken to task at all cost.
Meanwhile,IGP Sindh AD Khawaja launched a “discreet enquiry” into the demolition of the school, with an order to probe what TV reports allege to be police involvement in the demolition of the school building’s boundary and a few of the rooms of the building, and the school principal’s residence within the premises.
A Sindh Police spokesman said an immediate and round the clock security of the heritage site, to prevent any further harm to its structure and premises, has also been ordered coupled with the early completion of the inquiry.
Additional Inspector General (AIG) Aftab Pathan will investigate the incident.
As per law, the designated heritage buildings and sites cannot be demolished and no changes can be made in their exterior or interior, without any formal approval and recommendation of duly notified experts’ committee comprising seasoned professionals.
According to available information, land mafia is quite active in grabbing the prime land in the once most posh area of the city with a sizable number of sprawling, pre-colonial area bungalows.
The mafia, allegedly in connivance of area police, attempted to raze the protected building under the garb of the demolition of two of the classrooms of government schools, claimed to be in need of repair.
