SC orders reconstruction of quake-hit KP schools within 6 months

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) to reconstruct the schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which got destroyed in the 2005 earthquake within six months, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard the case in which the lawyer of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government informed the top court that 244 schools have been reconstructed adding that 70pc of rehabilitation work has been completed.

CJP Justice Gulzar Ahmed remarked that it seems that quake-hit schools will remain under construction.

The SC while ordering complete reconstruction of all quake-hit schools within six months, has summoned the chairman Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) in person on the next hearing of the case.

The SC bench has warned of contempt proceedings if the authorities fail to complete the reconstruction of the schools within the given time.

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Later, the hearing was adjourned for six months.

On October 8, 2005, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck northern Pakistan causing massive devastation.

The earthquake affected an area of almost 30,000 square kilometres; equivalent to the size of Belgium. 75,000 people were killed and some 4 million people were left homeless.

In the last hearing of the case, CJP Justice Gulzar Ahmed had shown resentment over the ERRA chairman and other officials.