It was expected of CJ LHC to em­phasise to the Punjab Govern­ment to focus more on educa­tion and divert resources to this most vital sector, which alone can guarantee hope and faith for bet­ter prospects in this country, in­stead of doing the exact reverse. Sanity itself seems to be a casual­ty in our country. 

The judiciary should have as­sumed the role of protecting the Constitution in letter and spirit in­stead of violating it. The Constitu­tion makes it mandatory that “The State shall provide free and com­pulsory education to all children of the age of 5 to 16 years, in such a manner as may be determined by law.” This 100-year-old govern­ment school, located in Jhiga Galli Murree, a remote part of Pakistan, was catering to the provision of subsidised basic education to chil­dren belonging to the age group between 5 and 16 years. 

The question arises: can the ju­diciary even contemplate the vi­olation of the constitutional ob­ligation and deprive these poor children of what is guaranteed to them as a basic right? Would they have done this if it were a religious seminary? In my humble opinion, with all due regard for the judicia­ry, they should have been empha­sising upon the state to observe austerity, cut back on the perks and privileges of the paid elite, and invest more in the develop­ment of human resources instead of what they have done. 

Places of worship, education, and health should never be de­molished, but they need to be ren­ovated and upgraded to meet the demands of an increasing popu­lation. The provision of basic ed­ucation and vocational training by the state can help us defeat the scourge of extremism, terrorism, and radicalization in this coun­try. Lack of education is the per­fect recipe for disaster. Pakistan already lags behind in education, research, and sciences compared to other countries in the region, and we need to do more, not less. Education is far more important than the expansion of a judicial complex at a location in the moun­tains, frequented by the privileged elite in the summers, etc.

MALIK TARIQ ALI,

Lahore.