JEDDAH, 27 June — A large group of Indian parents resolved at a meeting here on Tuesday that the International Indian School, Jeddah (IISJ), building case should be pursued in court to its logical end and any move to withdraw it should be thwarted.
They urged lawyer Dr. Yusuf Akhdar Al-Qayyim to continue with the case as per the IISJ managing committee’s contract with him. The case involves the ownership of the land and building of the school’s boys section and payment of a large sum of money to the contractor who built the building and subsequently claimed ownership of the land as well as the building.
Speakers at the parents’ meeting raised questions about the need and justification for the letter sent by school Managing Committee Chairman Abdul Rahim to the lawyer, asking him not to pursue the case. He also reportedly informed the lawyer that Basharatullah Chaudhry, the managing committee’s coordinator charged with pursuing the case in court, was removed from the position. Some speakers pointed out that the chairman was not empowered to take such a decision unilaterally. They felt Rahim’s letter was bereft of legal or moral authority.
However, a few people objected to the resolution and refused to sign it, saying that they were not consulted before the building case was first filed.
The meeting also criticized the procedures being followed to elect what they called "a few favored men" to the new managing committee voting for which takes place tomorrow. It resolved to boycott the "sham election" and to start a signature campaign against the poll in which eight candidates are contesting for seven positions.