Priest Asks Pakistan Government to Return Saint Francis High School

...we protest and demand that the Punjab Government return Saint Francis High School, Anarkali, Lahore, to the Church.

Saint Francis High School, Anarkali, Lahore

(LAHORE) - The following is an appeal from Fr. Andrew Nisari, Parish Priest with the Mary Immaculate Church in Anarkali, Pakistan.

The International Community,
United Nations,
Supreme Court of Pakistan,
Government of Pakistan and the
Punjab Government.

Saint Francis High School, Anarkali, Lahore was established in 1842. It served the people of the subcontinent and after the foundation of Pakistan in 1947. This School served our beloved nation and many students received good standard education and discipline of life and are serving the nation. It was a renowned School. The Christians were running the school with commitment and zeal to up lift the nation.

Unfortunately, all the private educational institutes were nationalized in 1972 by the Government of Pakistan. With nationalization the standards of the schools dropped down, not only the students, the whole Pakistani nation suffered. Realizing this great damage the Government of Pakistan, in 2004 Denationalized the same educational institutions. By then the school buildings had been ruined and the furniture shattered due to the negligence of the responsible department of education. The Government RETURNED these schools after receiving 6 months advance salaries of the entire staff of the schools.

There were 17 schools of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore, out of which 16 schools were returned. Saint Francis High School, Anarkali, Lahore was held due to the greed and male fide intentions of the Land Mafia who want to build shopping mall and plaza. The Church which has served the nation in the field of education and medical is deprived of her services which are to build Pakistan and strengthen the nation to have a bright peaceful future.

Therefore, we protest and demand that the Punjab Government return Saint Francis High School, Anarkali, Lahore, to the Church. The Catholic Church has established this school 171 (One Hundred and Seventy One) years ago. The Land Mafia should not over power the Government and destroy the Nobel cause of educating our children.

We believe that the Punjab Government is determined to promote education and also to protect the rights of the minorities. Therefore, this is the time to prove your determination and St. Francis High School, Anarkali, Lahore to the Christian Community so that we can resume our services.

Fr. Andrew Nisari,
Parish Priest,
Mary Immaculate Church,
Anarkali