LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday stayed the process of taking over the Government Central Model School, Lower Mall, by the Daanish schools authority.

Muzaffar Hashmi and others filed a petition pleading that the Central Model School had an historic importance and had been working as an independent institution under a board of governors.

Advocate Saudul Hassan Sabri appeared on behalf of the petitioners and pointed out that the Punjab caretaker government decided to hand over the control of the school to the Danish schools authority by converting it into a centre of excellence. He said the school was established in 1883 and produced countless success stories.

He said the government had a plan to disperse the teachers and the students of the central model school and accommodate them in other schools.

The counsel argued that the caretaker government had no mandate to take the impugned decision as it was formed to conduct fair and free elections only.

He asked the court to restrain the government from changing the autonomous status of the school.

Justice Shahid Karim stayed the impugned process and sought replies from the government and its relevant departments within a fortnight.

Earlier, the petition was fixed before Justice Raza Qureshi as an objection case.

The judge overruled an objection raised by the registrar office and directed it to fix the same before any appropriate bench. The office had questioned the unavailability of the signed minutes of the cabinet’s meeting regarding the impugned decision.

Justice Qureshi observed that the government could not force the students of the Central Model School to study in other schools. He said getting education from a school of their choice was a fundamental right of the students.

The students and their parents also staged a protest demonstration against the government’s decision outside the GPO Chowk entrance to the high court.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2023