Now police baton charge schoolchildren

LAHORE
LAHORE Police baton charged innocent students and their parents who were protesting to demand reopening of Government High School, Bhati Gate here Thursday.
The students and locals carrying placards chanted slogans and protested over delay in re-opening of the school which caused traffic mess on the road.
The police in retaliation started baton charge, indiscriminately, to disperse the demonstrators. One of the students, Fahad, received injuries and was taken to the hospital. Recently, the Punjab government had to face severe criticism when its Police jawans had baton charged some blind demonstrators.
Government High School, Bhati Gate was adopted by Ghazi Education & Welfare Trust in 2003 from the then district government and ever since it’s administrative control was with the Trust, including its own teachers and head. Sources said the School Education Department tried to take control of the school in 2012 but the move was resisted and eventually the move was discarded.
The prolonged winter vacation followed by abrupt closure of the school by the Trust compelled the locals to come on road and demand its reopening at the earliest.
However, the demonstration ‘hurt’ the Lahore Police which reacted in indiscriminate baton charge on the demonstrators.
EDO Education Lahore Muhammad Pervaiz Akhtar claimed that the Trust had recently requested the department to take control of the school in the wake of emerging security situation after the Peshawar school attack. He said the school was closed a week ago by the Trust and an important meeting was scheduled for today (Friday) regarding the fate of the school as it was adopted under certain terms and conditions from the both sides.
He alleged that some teachers, who served at school under the Trust, were behind the demonstration as they feared they would lose their jobs once the Schools Department took control of the school.
About academic loss of the students, the EDO Education claimed that he had sent headmaster and some teachers to the school Wednesday to make it functional once again.
A number of parents told the reporters that the delay regarding the administrative control of the school was badly affecting studies of the students.
They said it was unfortunate that the officials concerned could not settle the issue despite passage of so many days. No one from Ghazi Education and Welfare Trust was available for comments.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of baton charge on the students and sought a report from DIG Operations. He said an inquiry be held into the incident to fix responsibility while best treatment facilities should be provided to the injured children. He said baton charge on school children could not be tolerated. However, no case was registered by police until the filing of this report.
Meanwhile, SP City Asad Sarfraz visited the school and offered apologies. He said he was sorry for the ‘petty’ injury to the student, who needed five stitches.