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Urgent President's Message
Urgent Message by the President
How political elite used their power and authority to defame a reputable educational institution: classic example of bad governance.
بِسْمِ ه اللَِّ ال ه رحْمَنِ ال ه رحِيم
This document is prepared on the request of the members and donors who financially supported the Anjuman Madrasa Tul Banat (AMTB) for decades and are finding it difficult to comprehend as to why suddenly this reputable organization, is being described by Govt. as ‘the illegal occupants’ and what measures were taken to tackle the issue. I have tried to describe the events in the form of sequence with the help of clips to emphasize the way the land mafiablindly followed their agenda, even ignoring the fact that the matter was subjudice. I hope you will find this information useful, if you have any feedback, I shall be looking forward to hear from you.
Amin U. Khan
President AMTB
Introduction
Before describing the chronology of events–from defamation campaign to its present status in the court of law, I would like to briefly highlight some of the most significant events in the history of this institution. In 1926 when Madrasa Tul Banat was shifted to Jalundhar city from Basti Danishmand, nearly two decades after its establishment (1907), there was many fold increase in the number of students. It was then that the founder felt the need that the religious teaching in the institution should also provide students with the opportunity to develop the necessary skills to gain employment and constructively engage with society (cl ip 1). Under this program, students were also required to take the Standard Board Examinations for classes 8, 10 (Matric) and equivalence certification (Intermediate and Bachelor degrees) for religious degrees in accordance with the prescribed curriculum to affiliate with the mainstream education system. In 1939, Sir Sikander Hayat Khan laid the foundation of the school at Kapurthala road in Jalundhar on 26 acres of land (clip 2). In 1942, when Qaid e Azam visited Madrassa, he was so impressed by the system of education that he expressed high hopes that the institution would become the future women university (clip 3). The property allotted in Lahore was in compensation (partially) of this property left in Jalundhar. Up till 2007 when the vice president AMTB visited Jalandhur, the premises were occupied by Ghandhi Vanita Ashuram – built in 1947 to support the widows of partition refugees. It housed 120 women, and a small school that educates 250 girls, and they were accommodated in the three block buildings (comprised of 50 rooms and the mosque was used for making soap), built before partition. Presently, according to a Times of India report, the Gandhi Vanita Ashram in Jalandhar, along with its parking area was mortgaged for Rs 250 crore on December 31, 2013 to Punjab Urban Development Authority. It is ironic that while Sohan Lal training college was rehabilitated at Ambala, India (clip 4) after partition, whereas an institution to which the transfer was made against the satisfaction of verified claim is now being challenged by the Evacuee Trust Board on the behest of land mafia.
Sequence of events:
1972. Nationalization of three of the four educational institutions of Anjuman Madrasatul Banat (AMTB)
1996. Denationalization of two educational institutions of AMTB and 6 other institutions in Punjab.
First wave of media campaign was launched by the local MPA and followed by orders of Chairman Evacuee Trust Board
1998. Local MPA Khawja Riaz Mahmood and his colleagues constantly interfered in the implementation of denationalization process, finally they compelled the staff to demonstrate for re-nationalizion of the institutions and a media campaign was launched to malign the president of AMTB (clip 5 & clip 6).
1998. A meeting of executive board of AMTB in consultations with the lawyers was arranged in order to cope threats from MPA regarding its being declared as trust property and renationalized. The lawyers were of the opinion that transfer of property owned by AMTB is validated and cannot be reconsidered by any authority whatsoever. If any such order is passed it would be unsustainable for the reasons being that the orders will be in violation of the law (That on the enforcement of Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 1958 (Act no. XXVIII of 1958. On issuance of Notification under section 3 (3) and section 4 (2) of this Act, all rights title and interests of the evacuee were extinguished. The evacuee property owned by R.B. Sohan Lal used for remedial purposes formed part of the Compensation Pool. And AMTB applied for the transfer of the property on the basis of verified claim and valid allotment order were issued by the competent authority on 22-9-1962).
1998. General Nasir, Chairman Evacuee Trust Board, declared the property as trust property on the basis of a fake photocopy and hearsay (clip 7). No question arose anywhere it was theorized by the Board itself. The chairman was only to decide whether property was attached or not but in this case the chairman has not decided about the existence of any trust nor which property is attached.
1999. The institutions were re-nationalized by Govt.
2000. After several adjournments at the Govt. of Pakistan Ministry of Minorities Affairs Division in Islamabad, it was decided to file a writ petition at LHC.
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2002. A petition filed at Lahore High Court (LHC) challenged orders passed by Chairman Evacuee Trust Board. LHC ordered suspension of the order of the Chairman Evacuee Trust Board.
Second wave of media campaign after the change of Govt. launched by local MPA and Mayor, followed by a bogus FIR to harass AMTB management.
2003. Defamation campaign was launched by MPA Ajasum Sharif in Punjab Assembly, in spite of the fact that the matter was subjudice (clip 8).
2004. Another media campaign was launched by the Mayor Amir Mahmood to malign the name of AMTB (clip 9), in spite of the fact that they were informed that the matter was subjudice (clip 10). FIR against the entire management, staff, president AMTB including his mother (clip 11) was used as a tool for harassment. The principal of the college verbally informed the management that mayor’s office was instrumental in registering it.
In 2005 the bogus FIR was quashed.
2006. The new prospectus shows the intentions of the Govt., as it states that the ‘college was founded by Sohan Lal’ (clip 12). As a matter of fact, it was a degree college at the time of nationalization. Intermediate section and degree classes were inaugurated in 1952 and 1957 respectively, both were coincided by Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah visits, in her speeches, she mentioned that these achievements are a step forward for realization of becoming a women university - as envisaged by the Qaid e Azam.
2007. LHC, directed to get a decision from the Secretary to the Govt. of Pakistan. Ministry of minorities’ affairs division (where three years were wasted seeking hearing before approaching LHC).
2009. Secretary to the Govt. of Pakistan. Ministry of Minorities Affairs Division stood by its first decision
2010. Writ petition at LHC challenged orders passed by the Chairman Evacuee Trust Board, dated 1998, and Secretary to the Govt. of Pakistan Ministry of Minorities Affairs division, dated 2009. Both decisions were suspended by LHC.
2020. LHC dismissed the writ petition without taking into consideration the history of settlement laws and its development. Presently, petition CP no. 1049/2020 is filed in the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan (civil petition for leave to appeal under article 185 (3) of the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 seeking leave to appeal against the judgment dated 03.03.2020 passed by the learned Lahore High Court, Lahore.)