“Thanks be to God our Father who is loving and all-compassionate as we welcome the government decision in returning back St. Francis High School to the Archdiocese of Lahore” Fr. Andrew Nisari, parish priest of Mary Immaculate Church in Lahore's Anarkali neighborhood, told CNA.
“Thank you all for your struggle with us to get our St. Francis High School, Anarkali,
back to the Archdiocese of Lahore,” Fr. Nisari continued. “Our supporters in this
campaign prayed, stood with us in the heat of June, protesting and demanding our school
back from the government.”
President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's policy of nationalization had seized control of all
schools, colleges, and hospitals held by Christians in the country. In addition to
the seizure of educational institutions, Bhutto nationalized banks, and industries
such as steel, chemicals, cement, and agricultural mills.
The nationalization policy led to lapses in infrastructure updates due to bureaucratic
policies and corruption, and educational standards fell; the GDP growth rate fell
by a point after nationalization was implemented.
St. Francis High School is one of the oldest schools in the city. The Catholic Church handled the administration until 1972, until the government decided to appropriate it in the context of a plan of nationalization of the entire education sector.
In 2004, the government announced a plan to return these educational facilities to
their private owners; in the context of the process of "denationalization" 16 schools
in Lahore were returned to the archdiocese. All but the very institution dedicated
to the saint of Assisi. "The Church had complied with all the provisions of the law
including the advance deposit of six months for the salaries of employees.
The archdiocese insisted in their petition in the beginning of 2014 that the rightful
title and management of schools be returned to the owners in the equitable interest
of the nation's development.
The petition also noted that with the illegal occupation, the Pakistani government
owes the archdiocese rent for the building for the last 10 years, while the archdiocese
had paid six months advance salary for its staff, satisfying the conditions of Musharraf's
2004 push for privatization.
“We are extremely happy that the school is returned back to the archdiocese to ignite
minds and tap talents with innovation and excellence,” Asif Nazir, a Catholic teacher,
told CNA.
Fr. Nisari emphasized that “we will bring this school to such a standard that will
produce a bright future of our country. All children without any distinction are welcome
to benefit from this institution.”
“We see a great hope in the future generation where education with ethics and morals
will help in creating a peaceful and harmonious society, which is a need of the hour
in the country,” he added.
Fr. Nisari also added that “we will demolish the ruins of the school building, and
erect a new one.”
The return of her schools and hospitals will allow the Church in Pakistan to continue
to build up and strengthen the nation.
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