RIYADH, 2 March 2006 -— A Pakistani parent has dragged two teachers to court for alleged dereliction of duty, which led to the death of a student at a picnic spot in Riyadh suburbs early last year.
“I am now moving to a court since no settlement has been reached so far between me and the International Pakistani School, Riyadh (IPSR),” said Mohammad Mohsin Shami, father of the victim, here yesterday.
“I had already submitted a petition to the Higher Court in Riyadh and I wanted the killers of my son to be punished.”
Mohammed Haris Shami, a 14-year-old seventh grader student, drowned on Feb. 3, 2005 in a pond at Marwaj Farm near Al-Dhelum area and two IPSR teachers have been blamed by the parent for the death of the student. Haris was one among a group of 50 students who went for a school picnic that day.
Asked about the position of the school and the status of probe, Mohammed Yusuf Ghauri, IPSR principal declined to comment on the case.
“I don’t have much details at this stage,” he said.
According to Shami, the school authorities have not punished the teachers, namely Jamshed Mansoor and Shaukat Amin, who escorted the students for the school excursion on that day.
He said that the school had only given them token punishment by announcing 15-day salary deduction despite the grave charges of alleged negligence against them. The incident shocked the Pakistani community at that time.
