PHC moved against monument construction

PESHAWAR: The PHC Bar Association on Saturday moved the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the construction of a monument in the memory of the Army Public School massacre victims by the school administration using the donation money for the purpose.
The bar association requested the high court to direct the APS management to use the money for the better treatment of the injured students and for their welfare.
The PHC Bar Association through its president Muhammad Essa Khan filed the writ petition to seek direction from the court not to allow the management of the APS to construct the monument or a block of building by using the money collected through donations.
The Senate chairman, National Assembly speaker, Interior Ministry secretary, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home and Tribal Affairs department secretary, Station Commander Peshawar and APS principal were made respondents in the petition.
The militants aligned with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) killed almost 150 people, including 135 schoolchildren, in a brazen attack on the army-run school in Peshawar on December 16 last year.
In the petition, the court was requested to direct the government to extend all possible financial help to the injured APS students to enable them to avail medical care.
“The APS administration should be directed not to waste the money collected through donations on the construction of unnecessary and uncalled for monument inside or outside the school. The money should be spent on the welfare of students,” the petition stated.
The PHC Bar Association claimed in the petition that millions of rupees were paid to the APS administration by the non-governmental organisations and civil society after the tragic incident.
It said the money was meant for rehabilitation of the students, but till date nothing tangible could be done for the welfare of the students.
“The announcement of the school administration that the funds so raised shall be spent on construction of a monument or some block is inconceivable, particularly at the point of time that the victim students and their families are crying for financial help for their proper treatment,” the petition added.
It requested the court to issue interim relief and restrain the station commander and principal of APS from spending the donation money on the construction of a monument or building of any type till the court decision in the petition.