SHC asks why govt school was shifted from one district to another

The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the director for schools and the district education officer (Central) to file comments on a petition against the shifting of a government boys secondary school from Liaquatabad No.9 to Musharraf Colony on Hub River Road.

Abdul Waheed submitted in the petition that his two sons, Mohammad Hamza and Mohammad Faiz, along with 85 other students had been studying in the government school on Jehangir Road in Liqauatabad before its shifting to Musharraf Colony.

He described as unjust the education department’s decision to shift the school, established in the area in 1976, saying that it would jeopardise the future of several students as they could not be able to attend classes in another district of the city.

The petitioner requested the court to direct the education department to recall its decision and allow the students to continue their education at the school. Schools director Hamid Karim and Central district education officer Chaman Lal appeared on a court notice and sought time to file comments on the petition.

The court was informed by the headmaster of the school that he had received 27 enrolment forms from 9th class students. A division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar directed the headmaster of the school to hand over all the enrolment forms to the DEO Central, who would process them so that the process of the enrolment could be completed before the annual examinations. The court directed the two officials to file comments by October 17.

Oil and gas exploration

The Sindh High Court directed federal and provincial law officers and deputy commissioners to file reports about the allocation and utilisation of funds for the welfare of the people living near oil and gas exploration areas.

Hearing a petition with regard to the lack of welfare funds to the residents of such areas, the court directed the law officers to submit district-wise details about the welfare projects in the health and education sectors and the funds being provided by oil and gas companies in this regard.

It expressed dissatisfaction over the reports submitted by the deputy commissioners with regard to the spending of funds and directed the officers of a fund committee and representatives of oil and gas companies to appear with the relevant record by October 16.