KARACHI: Thousands of students have been deprived of education after a historic government school in Karachi was sealed following a court order, with official records pointing to prolonged administrative and legal delays by the Sindh government and the education department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Delhi Government Primary and Secondary Schools in Karimabad, Federal B Area, have remained at the centre of a long-running dispute over the ownership and acquisition of the land and building. Despite nearly two decades passing since the provincial authorities initiated the land acquisition process, the matter was never brought to completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to education department documents, a notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 was issued on August 27, 2007, to acquire the land on which the Delhi Government Primary and Secondary Schools were located. However, the Sindh government failed to complete the acquisition proceedings over the following years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Official correspondence indicates that instead of taking effective legal and administrative action, the relevant departments largely remained confined to exchanging letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Long-Running Legal Dispute<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dispute dates back even further. The Delhi Anglo-Arabic Association approached the Sindh High Court seeking recovery of the building, citing non-payment of rent and seeking restoration of possession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sindh High Court ruled in favour of the association on October 30, 2000. The Sindh government challenged the decision, but its appeal was dismissed on January 20, 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The provincial government subsequently approached the Supreme Court, which on December 19, 2006, also rejected the government\u2019s request and declined to grant leave to appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following an application by the association, the court directed the Nazir on March 9, 2004, to hand over possession of the building to the association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faced with the situation, the district government initiated land acquisition proceedings in 2007. However, the association filed a constitutional petition, and on September 26, 2007, the Sindh High Court ordered a halt to further proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The constitutional petition remained pending for years before finally being dismissed on March 17, 2025. With the dismissal, the legal obstacle to the land acquisition process was removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite this development, the education department and district administration did not promptly complete the remaining proceedings under Section 6 or transfer the school building to the provincial government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One Year of Further Delay<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Records show that the Director of School Education Karachi wrote to the Deputy Commissioner of Central District on April 7, 2025, requesting that the land acquisition process be taken forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, more than a year passed without the matter being resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In official correspondence, the education department acknowledged that no further action had been taken on the request submitted to the deputy commissioner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The department continued to send letters, including correspondence dated July 23, 2026, seeking progress on the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Director of School Education also sought approval from the Education Secretary to file a fresh constitutional petition under Article 199 of the Constitution against the court\u2019s implementation proceedings and to accelerate the land acquisition process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, these efforts failed to prevent the closure of the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2,800 Students Affected<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Government correspondence highlights the potential impact of the closure on approximately 2,800 students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The affected institutions include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Delhi Government Boys Primary School, Block A
Delhi Government Girls Secondary School, Block B
Delhi Government Boys Secondary School, Block C<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Official records also mention the Delhi Government College, Block D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The institutions were taken into national custody in 1972 under Martial Law Regulation No. 118. Yet, despite the passage of more than five decades, the dispute concerning ownership of the building and payment of rent was never permanently resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The education department itself warned that the closure could have serious consequences for students in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to official correspondence, the nearest alternative government school is approximately 7 kilometres away. A large proportion of residents cannot afford the fees charged by private schools, meaning that many existing students and children seeking admission in the future could be deprived of access to education if the schools remain unavailable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Questions Over Government Inaction<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Education circles have questioned why the acquisition process was not completed after the legal obstacle was removed on March 17, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Questions have particularly been raised over the role of the Sindh government, Education Department, Law Department, Board of Revenue and district administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Critics argue that the authorities had sufficient time to take corrective measures but failed to coordinate effectively and complete the necessary legal and administrative procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The case has highlighted the consequences of prolonged bureaucratic delays, with thousands of children now facing the loss of their school because a land and ownership dispute remained unresolved for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The controversy has also raised broader concerns about the protection of public educational institutions and the government\u2019s ability to safeguard access to education when disputes involving school properties arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students Protest Against Closure<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, students staged a protest outside the Delhi Government School against the sealing of the institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The protesting students also held a sit-in outside the school, demanding that the authorities reopen the educational institutions and protect their right to continue their studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The students and their families are now waiting for the government to take immediate steps to resolve the dispute and provide a solution that prevents thousands of children from being forced out of education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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