ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate who has allowed the establishment of over 350 schools in residential areas.

The minister on Wednesday directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) not to create panic among school operators and students by issuing a 15 day notice for the shifting of schools from residential to commercial areas. He said that without an alternate plan, CDA should not direct the schools to vacate residential premises.

“Without any alternate plan, how is the shifting of over 350 private schools from residential areas possible,” the minister had asked. The minister, apparently in response to a CDA officials reply that according to the authority’s bylaws private schools could not operate in residential areas, said: “If setting up schools in residential areas is an illegal activity, then the matter of who allowed these schools to be set up should be probed.”

In its current drive against the nonconforming use of residential buildings, which is being carried out based on orders from the Supreme Court, the authority will seal all the houses in which schools are functioning.

However, the schools currently have stay orders issued by the Islamabad High Court. “One a stay is vacated, we will seal the schools,” a CDA official said. The minister has directed FIA to submit a report after a week.

Over 40 CDA officials are already facing FIA inquiries for promoting illegal katchi abadis.

The Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority registered the abovementioned schools, while CDA said little on the matter.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2016