Rawalpindi: School lands shrink as ‘qabza groups’ stretch tentacles

[Naveed Yaseen]

50% of Rawalpindi academic institutions under illegal occupation
Saeed Ahmed
‘Qabza groups’ in connivance with political leaders have occupied plots of more than 50 per cent of government schools functioning in and around Rawalpindi, well-placed sources told ‘The News’ on Thursday.

According to sources, some influential people have occupied plots allotted to academic institutions being run by the government. The practice is continuing for the last 30 years, sources added.

Sources said that plots of Islamia School, Murree Road; Muslim School 1, 2 and 4; Zia-ul-Uloom School, Raja Bazaar; Christian School, Raja Bazaar; Shimla High School, Namakmandi; Gulshan Middle School, Bagh Sardaran; and Comprehensive Girls High School, Dhoke Kashmirian have been occupied by ‘qabza groups’.

The total plot size of Islamia School was 42 kanals. However now only 16 kanals of land is left, while the remaining area has been illegally taken over by a ‘qabza group’.

According to sources, in 1998 the then director of schools wanted to hand over the entire building of Ziaul Uloom School to a ‘qabza group’ after receiving Rs700,000 as bribe. However schoolteachers approached the court and thwarted the move. Now a portion of the Ziaul Uloom School building is in possession of the ‘qabza mafia’, sources said.

Sources said that the matter of occupation of school plots was into the notice of higher authorities in the provincial government a number of times but no positive outcome was achieved as no efforts were made in that direction.

Sources said that students and teachers were facing great hardships due to occupation of plots. The matter needs immediate attention of the Punjab chief minister for its proper resolution, sources said.

Nizar Abbasi, who deals with the cases of occupation of school lands at the office of executive district officer (education), confirmed the report. However the legal officer said that percentage of illegally-occupied schools is not 50. He expressed his reservations in telling the actual percentage of the occupied land.

He said that the Taxila Cantonment Board has illegally occupied a government school. He added that the matter was in the notice of the education secretary. He said, “The issue is confined to letters and files only and nothing practical is done to resolve the matter”.

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