Dilapidated school building poses grave risk to students

Rawalpindi
The roof of left portion of Government Islamia Higher Secondary School No-1 near Liaquat Bagh has collapsed, while the roof of right portion is on the verge of collapse and could fall anytime. The school administration has declared both portions (left and right) dangerous and ‘no go areas’ for students.
The roofs of 8 classrooms out of 48 had collapsed a long time ago, but the concerned authorities are perhaps waiting for a serious incident in the school being run by the Punjab government. The school, located in the heart of the city, has more than 800 students, whose lives are in danger due to the dilapidated condition of the building.
After the collapse of left portion roof, the school administration declared both portions (left and right) dangerous where 8 classrooms existed. However, it is difficult to keep students away from the dilapidated building.
Talking to ‘The News,’ Government Islamia Higher Secondary School No-1 Principal Muhammad Izhar-ul-Haq said that the right side of the school building could collapse anytime. He said that the high-ups have visited the school many a time. “The PC-1 for starting renovation work in the school has already been approved,” he claimed.
He said that he has declared both portions of the school dangerous and students were banned to go there. “I am strictly monitoring it,” he claimed. He said that 8 classrooms out of 48 are dangerous as roofs are collapsing one after another.
A senior schoolteacher, on condition of anonymity, said that previously more than 1,200 students were enrolled in the school, but now there were only 800. A large number of parents has stopped sending their children to the school and got them enrolled in other academic institutions as they fear that its building would collapse anytime, he added.
He said that the school building used to have 48 classrooms and a spacious hall. But now, 40 classrooms were left, as roofs of 8 rooms had collapsed, he said. He said that the remaining classrooms were also in a dilapidated condition. He said that they had informed the concerned authorities time and again about the dilapidated condition of the school building, but no action was taken so far.
He disclosed that the government had given 47 kanals of land to the school, but now it has only 24 kanals of land as ‘qabza mafia’ had allegedly occupied its land.
According to a senior teacher, Aftab Zafar, the Government Islamia Higher Secondary School No-1 was built in 1886. Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah visited the school twice in his life.
Parents have appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to take action, as the lives of their children were at stake. "We cannot afford the fee of other schools, so the provincial government should start construction work in the school on emergency basis," parents appealed.
Shahbaz Ahmed, a father, said that his son has been studying at the Government Islamia Higher Secondary School No-1 for four years. “I was shocked to know that the roof of a portion of the school has collapsed. I rushed to the school to see my son. Thank God my son and all others were safe,” he said.
Raja Muhammad Anwar, the father of another student, said that he has decided to transfer his son to another school as he feared that the remaining building would collapse. “We have written several applications to the high-ups to take up this serious issue but to no avail,” he said.