January 08, 2007	Monday	Zilhaj 17, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The Lahore Church Council (LCC) has accused the Punjab education department of surrendering its schools to certain individuals after receiving bribes from them.

Secretary general LCC Mushtaq Sajeel Bhatti, union leaders Waris Bhatti, Waris Daleep and other representatives of the Christian community told a press conference that about 138 educational institutions owned by the church were nationalised in 1972. At that time, an agreement was signed under which all these institutions had to be returned to the church.

“But now the Punjab education department has handed over nine of these schools to some individuals who have nothing to do with the church,” they alleged.

They said these institutions were not the property of the government but belonged to the church and, as such, should have been handed over to the latter. They said the Supreme Court had also given a verdict in their favour.

“The Supreme Court had said all these institutions belonged to their previous owners and the government was only a hirer,” they said.

The representatives of the church alleged that four officials were involved in handing over these schools to other people.

The LCC general secretary said these officials had devised a denationalisation policy in violation of the apex court’s decision and handed over Rang Mahal Christian Boys High School and eight other institutions to a fake organisation.

They demanded that the government should give all these institutions in the control of the church.