LAHORE: Punjab’s minister for primary education, Dr Murad Raas on Friday visited the parents of Hafiz Hunain Bilal, a 17-year-old schoolboy who was allegedly killed by his teacher after being subject to severe torture.
Speaking to the media, Raas said that the process of recruiting teachers needed to be modified.
“We will introduce laws that would require teachers to obtain a license [before entering the profession] just like doctors.”
Hunain was a 17-year-old student enrolled at the American Lycetuff in Lahore who died on Thursday as a result of being tortured by his teacher for “failing to memorize his lessons”, reports claim.
The incident garnered widespread condemnation with’#JusticeForHunain’ doing rounds on Twitter since Thursday.
The teacher and the school’s principal were arrested on Thursday after a first Information Report (FIR) against them and members of the school administration were lodged by Hunain’s father.
Meanwhile, Hunain’s body was shifted to the morgue for post-mortem examination.
The FIR claimed that the school principal and administration had been “mentally torturing Hunain” over non-payment of school fees and added that the assailant “punched [Hunain] repeatedly, grabbed his hair and hit his head against the wall, all the while yelling at him”.
Hunain’s classmates have claimed that the teacher was known for venting his anger on students, while the school has failed to issue any statement in this regard.
Raas directed the area’s Station House Officer (SHO) Amjad to ensure swift action against the culprits.
Speaking to the media about the incident, Raas said, “I don’t have words to [describe] the brutality,” he told reporters. “To take the life of a child over a small thing is baffling.”
He further said that an FIR has also been launched against the school franchise which was operating in several parts of the city.