SUKKUR: Eight officials of education and works and services departments escaped from the premises of Jacobabad district and sessions court on Friday after the judge ordered police to register FIR against them over collapse of roof plaster on young students in boy’s main primary school in the city on Wednesday.

The judge, Abdul Ghafoor Kalhoro, had taken notice of the incident in which four students had sustained severe head injuries and summoned the officials concerned of the two departments and the victims to the court on Friday.

District Officer Mohammad Paryal Sheikh, Taluka Education Officer Nasir Bhutto, Engineer Khan Mohammad Jamali, Tender Clerk Ghulam Qadir Gopang and Headmaster Irshad Ali Jafari, grade-thee class teacher Mohammad Ali Abro and the injured students, Mohammad Suleman Jakhrani, Sumair Panhwar, Hafiz-ur-Rehman Bugti and Muzammil Brohi attended the hearing.

The judge heard lawyers Ahmed Nawaz Rind, Zahid Hussain Soomro, Syed Ghulam Hussain Shah, who had filed petitions against the officials concerned over charges of criminal negligence.

After hearing the two sides, the judge expressed anger over the delinquent officials and ordered registration of FIR against them but no sooner did they hear the order they escaped from the court premises.

However, City police, partially complied with the court order and registered an FIR on behalf of the state on a complaint lodged by ASI Parvaiz Ahmed Dasti against the officials concerned, who were summoned to the court over the school roof’s plaster collapse.

Lawyer Ahmed Nawaz Rind told media persons that the judge was very annoyed over the officials concerned and ordered registration of case against them after coming to know of their negligence.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2024