CJP forbids action against footpath school till alternate location provided

KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday forbade action against a footpath school in Clifton area until alternate space is provided for its relocation.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar heard the suo motu notice at the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry on the Sindh government’s alleged move to shut the school down.

During the hearing, the CJP observed that the Sindh Education Department should not nag the concerned administration for closure of the school. Instead, he stated, the school should be provided with all the necessary facilities.

The school in question, situated under Bahria Icon Tower flyover in Clifton area of Karachi, reportedly received threats for closure by the Sindh government.

Karachi school for street children receives threats, given two-day deadline

Footpath school administration says Sindh Education Foundation official has given a two-day deadline to close the school educating underprivileged children for free

In January this year, Syeda Anfas Ali Shah Zaidi, who has been running the footpath school for three years, said the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) Managing Director Naheed Durrani asked them to close down the school at the earliest.

Syeda Anfas spoke to Geo News on January 30, saying an initial meeting was held with the SEF official in which she claimed she was addressed in an inappropriate tone.

She also said that children of the school did not want to be moved to any other institute.

However, Durrani told Geo News that the issue was about protecting street children, whose security was threatened because of studying in open air.

Durrani maintained the entire matter was to mainstream the children and rehabilitate them.