ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on October 30 granted the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government an additional six months to implement its orders regarding the completion of reconstruction work on schools destroyed in the 2005 earthquake, directing the provincial authorities to submit a comprehensive progress report as well.
A five-member constitutional bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, heard the suo motu case concerning the poor condition of public schools in KP.
During the hearing, the KP Education Department additional secretary requested for more time for implementation, stating that work on the SC previous directions was still in progress. The bench accepted the request and granted an extension.
Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail observed that even two decades after the devastating 2005 earthquake, the reconstruction of many schools had not been completed. He remarked that while building new schools was important, repairing existing ones was equally essential.
Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi pointed out that in Mansehra, construction work on 107 school units remained incomplete, while 11 units in Kohistan were still unfinished. The additional secretary informed the court that further time — around three months — was required to complete the remaining work, while the provincial law officer explained that snowfall during the winter season had slowed progress.
Justice Aminuddin Khan remarked that it was not the court’s responsibility to build schools but to ensure that its orders were implemented. “We granted you an extension upon your request; now show us progress,” he directed the KP officials. Justice Rizvi noted, “It has been 20 years since the earthquake — we are sitting in 2025. How much more time do you need?” After hearing the arguments, the court granted the KP government a six-month extension to complete the reconstruction work and ordered submission of a detailed compliance report.
Published in The NEWS on October 31, 2025.
