ISLAMABAD: A schoolteacher was booked for beating seven students black and blue, police said.

Riaz Rehman got a case registered with the Aabpara police against the teacher of Islamabad College for Boys (ICB) G-6/3 for beating the students, including his 13-yearold son.

When contacted, Mr Rehman said on Feb 17 students of class seven, including his son, were chatting during a break when one of them whistled which was heard by the teacher.

The teacher took the students to his office and started beating them with belts, he said.

`When my son returned home, he was in severe pain. I sent his picture through WhatsApp to his principal and other teachers but no one replied.

On Monday, he lodged a written complaint with the police for registration of a case against the teacher. But the police was found reluctant.

Later, he met the subdivisional police officer who directed the SHO to register the case, Mr Rehman said, adding despite the direction, the Aabpara police took time to register the case, he said.

`I also sent a complaint to Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) Director General Ikram Ali against the teacher,` he said, adding in response the DG called him and assured that he would investigate the matter.

The Aabpara police said the teacher had been booked under section 328-A of Pakistan Penal Code and an investigation was in progress.

It may be noted that in 2021 parliament passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill to ban all forms of corporal punishment (however light) in all types of educational institutions, including formal, informal and religious, both public and private.

Under its section 4, whoever violates provisions of the section shall be liable to punishment prescribed for the offence in the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 and in other enactments.

As per the law, minor penalties include censure, withholding for a specific period promotion or increment, stoppage from promotion for a specific period, an efficiency bar in the timescale.

The major penalties are demotion to a lower post or time-scale or to a lower stage in a time scale, compulsory retirement, removal and dismissal from service.