LAHORE: A large number of students, their parents, employees and administrators are protesting against the district administration and higher education department (HED) for sealing the Cambridge Madrasatul Banat Higher Secondary School.

Anjuman Madrasatul Banat (AMTB) educational institutions manage 12 different entities, including the Cambridge Madrasatul Banat Higher Secondary School 15 Lake Road, Lahore.

On Feb 16, a police team led by City Assistant Commissioner Wasig Abbas raided the school and sealed it. The district administration later handed it over to the Kulliyatul Banat College.

The students, their parents andemployees continued their protest against sealing of their school. Carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the government, the students blocked traffic.

Maulana Abdul Haq Abbas had established the school in 1947 after the Partition. The school was nationalised by the ZA Bhutto government in 1972.

However, the nationalisation policy was reversed during the Gen Ziaul Haq government in 1980 and the school was handed over to the Anjuman Madrasatul Banat.

AMBT president Dr Amin Khan told Dawn that around 1,000 girls were enrolled in the school and as many as 250 employees, including teachers, were working in it. He said the students had their final paper on Thursday (Feb 16) and after that they were not allowed toenter the school and the staff was `subjected to police brutality`.

He said the Anjuman had been contesting the case about the ownership of the schoolfor the last 40 years and the matter was still sub judice in the Supreme Court.

He said the district administration had violated the rules, sealed the campus and intervened in a sub judice matter.

He said the Evacuate Trust Property Board (ETPB) had filed the claim that the property belonged to them and it was sub judice but the district administration and HED sealed it.

Mr Khan further said the administration was claiming that the property belonged to the HED but they were unable to show any document. Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider told this reporter that the land belonged to theETPB and Madrasatul Banat was illegally occupying it.

She said the Madrasatul Banat`s claim had been rejected in 1998 by the Punjab government but the land could not be vacated due to litigation and stay order given by the civil court.

She said the Lahore High Court had set aside the stay order and ordered removal of the illegal occupants to hand overthe land tothe ETPB.

She said the ETPB had later provided the land to the higher education department for expansion of their college and the administration had got the building vacated from illegal occupants and handed it over to the college.

She said the college was also continuing the classes of the school while adding the Supreme Court had not taken up the plea of the Madrasatul Banat administration yet.