NAROWAL: Muhammad Arshad was at his shop in Shakargarh on Sept 27 when he received a frantic call from the rickshaw driver who provides pick-and-drop service to his three daughters, the students of a private school in the locality.

The worried driver told him the school principal had held hostage one of his daughters in a locked room. Arshad immediately rushed to the school and found that the principal had locked his daughter, Fatima, a class one student, in a classroom. The screams of the terrified minor girl could be heard in the school.

When asked for the reason to detain her, Arshad, of Muhalla Madina Colony, says principal Muhammad Rizwan told him that the girl was being penalised for defaulting on the school paper funds worth Rs5,000. He was told to arrange the money to secure the release of his daughter.

Arshad says his three daughters are enrolled in the Dream Public School. On that fateful day, the principal let Reham, 6, and Inaya, 8, go but detained Fatima, 7.

He says the principal showed resistance to let Fatima leave the school without the fee payment. The parents of other students, Omar Sharif and Khalid Khan, who were present at the school, reacted strongly to the incident, saying the school administration had created panic among the children by committing a shameful act.

On the complaint of Arshad, the city police have registered an FIR against principal Rizwan under section 342 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Shakargarh DSP Malik Mohammad Khalil said the police registered the FIR against the principal after a preliminary investigation. He said strict action would be taken against the suspect as per law.

The principal is at large.

Deputy Commissioner Nabila Irfan said a report of the incident had been sought from the chief executive officer of the education authority.

Citizens and parents of the students have demanded strict legal action against the school administration from Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2021