SC adjourns hearing on school buildings damaged in 2005 quake

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned suo moto hearing on non-construction of the school buildings damaged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in October 2005 earthquake, ARY News reported.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed summoned reports over the reconstruction of school buildings from the chairman Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) and the Chief Secretary KP within one month.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case for one month.

Earlier, Justice Gulzar Ahmed questioned about performance of the ERRA with the chairman of the authority who was appeared before the court in the hearing.

“When the ERRA was constituted,” the CJP asked Chairman ERRA. “It was constitued on Oct. 24, 2005,” the authority’s head replied. “What has the ERRA worked out since its constitution,” the chief justice asked. “Why 540 school buildings damaged in the earthquake, not yet completed,” the top judge questioned. “Where the funds received by the ERRA were spent,” the chief justice further asked from the chairman ERRA.

“I want to say something to the court,” chairman of the authority replied. “Answer the question asked by the court,” the chief justice said.

It is to be mentioned here that the 2005 Kashmir earthquake of 7.6 magnitude in Kashmir, centred near Muzaffarabad, also wreaked havoc in nearby Balakot and other areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with huge devastation including losses of life and destruction of buildings.