Hoisting Indian flag case against private school quashed

KARACHI: A local court cancelled the criminal case registered against Mama Baby Care Cambridge School for allegedly promoting Indian culture.

A criminal case was registered against School management of said school in February this year under section 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan) 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war), 124/34 (assaulting President, Governor, etc., with intention to compel or restrain the exercise of any lawful power) of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at Karachi’s Ferozeabad Police Station.

According to the contents of the FIR, on February 10, 2019 a programme was held in Mama Baby Care Cambridge School PECHS, Karachi in which Indian flag was hoisted on a large screen and students were performing on Indian anthem, such news was later telecast on social and conventional media and such act of school administration had offended entire nation’s sentiments and such activity amounts to ignite anti-Pakistan sentiments falling under the ambit of treason.

Investigation of the case was carried out by Sub-Inspector Police Iftikhar Ahmed who later submitted the final report under 173 of Criminal Procedure CrPC. Judge Rana Saifullah of Civil and Judicial magistrate Court, Karachi East quoting the historical address of founder of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, UNESCO’s universal declarations on cultural diversity and discussing all accusations made by police, recording of statements and hearing of the arguments of the both the sides concluded the case by rejecting the plea of the police and public prosecutor.

The court having found no case at all, disposed it of accordingly under ‘C’ class. The ‘C’ class is commonly known as cancel class, however it is defined in detail in police rules when the case is neither true nor false and when the criminal case was filed due to mistake of facts or the offence complained about is of a civil nature”.

On February 16, 2019, Directorate of Inspection and Registration of Private Institutions Sindh (DIRPIS) had suspended the registration of the Mama Baby Care Cambridge School for allegedly promoting Indian culture.

After the suspension, the DIRPIS had also formed a three-member committee to probe the matter of school’s function in which students were dancing on an Indian song and waiving national flag of India in the background.

DIRPIS wrote letter to high-ups of Sindh Education Department (copy of which also available) recommending closing the branch of said School and shifting the students to other nearby branches.

DIRPIS registrar Rafia Javed confirming the recommendations of her Directorate told The News that it was a big misconduct on part of the school management that’s why recommendations were made for the closure of the branch.

School’s Vice Principal Fatima had told the media that the school management had arranged an annual event for the students to give them awareness about cultures of different countries. It was an open event in which students presented the cultures of Saudi Arabia, US, Egypt, Pakistan, India, and other countries.

However, some reporters twisted the matter and picked only a specific part of the programme to target the school.