HYDERABAD: Mukhtiarkar of city taluka has issued a notice to principal of Strong Base High School, established on the premises of Red Crescent Society, directing him to appear in person before assistant commissioner for making changes to the school building that was required to be vacated by May this year as per undertaking he had given to the district administration.

The school management had committed after Anti Encroachment Tribunal Hyderabad declared on Nov 21, 2024, that the school building was `encroachment on public street/amenity as per documents produced before the tribunal during formal trial`.

The tribunal had decided a public intere st litigation file d by Ghulam Sarwar Qureshi advocate that the school building was to be demolished as it was illegally built but Hyderabad deputy commissioner Zain U1 Abiden Memon allowed the school to complete ongoing aca-demic year before it was to vacate the premises by May this year.

However, the school owner on Friday demolished elevated front ofthe building to create a new `door`. Taking notice of it, mukhtiarkar city issued a notice to the school principal on Friday directing him to appear before the AC and explain why he had installed a new gate without getting a no objection certificate from regulatory authority concerned.

The notice said that all relevant records of property including property register, NOCs and building plan approved by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) should be produced before the AC on Monday Feb 3. However, the AC remained preoccupied with ongoing polio campaign and was not available for the principal.

`The AC will either visit the school premises on Tuesday or call the party concerned to his office,` said the DC.

The anti-encroachment tribunal established in its verdict that `it [school building] was an encroachment over public streetby the school management and District Red Crescent Society`.

Hence, the tribunal ordered its removal.

On Friday, part of the building`s elevated front was demolished to create a new opening for the building seemingly to give impression that some sort of `public welfare activity` was going on. In fact, a commercial activity continued in the shape of school after Red Crescent Society sub-leased the premises to school management as tenant in early 90s.

The management of the school, interestingly though, on Friday put up two boards on the building with one announcing `vaccination centre` and the other `Hilal-e-Ahmar House`.

The boards were nonexistent when the tribunal handed down its judgement.

`Surprisingly, I being DC and president of Red Crescent Society by virtue of my office is not aware of any such activity on behalf of Hilal-e-Ahmar, the DC told Dawn over phone.

`It is done without my approval, knowledge and consent,` he said. He was informedby an official of taluka city that this door had been created without prior official approval, he said.

The school is owned by Q.

Mohammad Hakam, a retired Wing Commander who was formerly associated with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) but later joined Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Hakam did not respond to a message and picture of Friday`s alteration in the building sent on his WhatsApp number by Dawn. However, when Zaman Qureshi, a teacher in the school and Hakam`s relative, said that `vaccination room` was operated by Hilal-e-Ahmar and this part of the wall was demolished by Red Crescent Society and not the school.

Last year, Hakam had filed a complaint with Chief Secretary in which he interestingly described the premises as `historical building`, mentioning it as `Hilal-e-Ahmar house`.

He conceded that the premises was rented to the school in 1993 and alleged that the DC being president of Hilal-eAhmar wanted to demolishHilal-e-Ahmar house instead of saving the precious property.

On this basis, he sought intervention of CS Sindh.

Principal tries to intimidate officials: DC The Hyderabad DC, in his Dec 4, 2024 rejoinder, said that entire school was built as encroachment on the land leased out to Hilal-e-Ahmar for welfare purpose. `Due to an illegal rent agreement between Hilal-e-Ahmar and stakeholders of Strong Base High School, the school is conducting commercial activities in the form of a private school and running it as sub-tenant in violation of original lease agreement between HMC and Red Crescent Society,` he said.

The DC said: `Lastly, it is pertinent to mention school administration led by retired Wing Commander Mohammad Hakam has been trying to pressurise and intimidate officers of the district administration through various channels in order to deter and postpone implementation of the tribunal`s orders,` said the DC`s letter.