ISLAMABAD:The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the schools established in the cantonment areas to submit schedule for evacuation in one month.
A three-member SC bench comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi heard the case regarding removing educational and commercial building etc from the Cantonments Areas in Pakistan.
During the course of proceedings, Justice Ijaz said that the bench would hear review petitions of private schools and once the applications were approved, the matter would be settled. In case of rejection, schools would have to leave cantonment areas, he added.
He directed all schools to submit schedules that if the review was rejected, how long would it take to vacate the cantonment areas?
He asked the counsel for cantonment boards what action had been taken so far to implement the decision of the Supreme Court?
The counsel replied that all three thousand schools were issued notices and advertisements in newspapers. Small schools would be evacuated in the next phase, he added.
He said that the board was considering to regulate some big schools and others would be removed.
Upon this, Justice Ijaz asked was there any law to regulate some schools and remove others?
The counsel replied that there was no such law and it would plead the court to allow in the public interest. Justice Ijaz said that when there was no law, how could bench allow it above the law?
Later, the court directed schools to submit schedule and adjourned hearing of the case for a month.