LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday ordered the Punjab special education department to get installed closed-circuit (CCTV) cameras in all schools for special children and also in the buses used for their transportation.

Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah issued the order hearing a public interest petition filed by a lawyer in the backdrop of an incident occurring last month wherein some deaf children were subjected to physical torture and humiliation by conductors of their school bus at Sambrial.

During the first hearing of the petition held on Nov 16 at GOR-I residence of the chief justice, inspector general of police was ordered to immediately depute two unarmed police personnel each in the buses transporting the students of such institutes.

Advocate Syed Miqdad Mehdi had filed the petition. On Monday, an education department report submitted before the court revealed that 273 schools for deaf children were functioning in the province with 2,500 teachers, 754 students and 508 buses for their pick and drop.

The report said the conductors and other staff of the buses were not properly trained.

Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Asad Shafiq told the court that a case had been registered against bus conductor Mazhar who was allegedly involved in the Sambrial incident and subsequent legal proceedings were in progress. He said two unarmed policemen had been deputed on each bus of the special education schools in compliance with the court’s order. The chief justice directed the special education department to get installed CCTV cameras in all schools and their buses. He said if close circuit cameras could be installed inside courtrooms there would be no harm of such devices in schools and buses.

The CJ adjourned the hearing till Dec 14, directing special education secretary to appear in person.

Earlier, Barrister Sarah Belal representing the petitioner-lawyer argued that boys and girls were subjected to torture in the bus carrying students of Daska Special Education Centre and its video went viral on social media.

She said conductors of the bus, Muzammil and Mazhar, pulled the students’ hair and abused them. The counsel pleaded that special children got frightened due to the inhuman treatment. She sought strict action against the staff involved in the maltreatment of the students.

Published in Dawn, December 05th, 2017