CHAKWAL, Oct 2: Students of a government school in the Dhudial town blocked Chakwal-Mandra Road on Tuesday morning against occupation of their school allegedly by an influential family.

The students said the family, who lived beside the Government Elementary School Dhudial, took over a portion of the building on Sunday night. On Monday, when the students went to attend their classes, they found their school occupied. The students also said the occupiers pelted them with stones, injuring one of them.

On Tuesday morning, the students along with their teachers took to the street and staged a sit-in on the main road, suspending traffic for about an hour.  The students were chanting slogans, demanding the authorities concerned to take immediate action.

The protesters dispersed after the police reached the scene and assured them that their school would be vacated soon.

Sources said Azhar Mehmood, an official of the motorway police and his family, had occupied the primary portion of the school.

The Government Elementary School built in 1882 by Sikhs as Khalsa High School Dhudial is under the possession of the district government and its primary portion is located beside the house of Mr Mehmood, who claims that he owned the land on which the primary portion was built.

The police have started an investigation after registering a case against the occupants. However, neither the building has been vacated nor any arrest made.

Mr Mehmood could not be contacted for comments, as according to the police he along with his family members has gone undergone. Investigation officer Mazhar Hussain told Dawn that when the police raided the building to arrest the accused, they had already escaped after demolishing the boundary wall. He said efforts were underway to trace the accused.

Talking to Dawn, the headmaster of the school, Malik Jamal, said the land was public property. “I have informed my higher authorities about the matter.”

He said as the school was occupied, the education of students was being affected badly.