Girls’ school in N Waziristan torched at behest of teacher: police

PESHAWAR: A teacher was found involved in setting ablaze a girls’ school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, police revealed on Thursday, following initial probe into the incident that took place earlier this month.

The Golden Arrow Girls Middle School in Shakhimar village of Razmak tehsil was set ablaze on the night of May 25.

According to a first information report (FIR) registered against the teacher, the five masked armed men barged into the school and torched the classrooms.

The FIR stated that the school was set on fire at the behest of the teacher in a bid to create fear and harass the students.

Furniture, ceiling, computers, books, and other equipment of the school were gutted in the blaze.

The school administration said the enemies of education had also damaged the school solar system with firing some time ago.

Over 400 girl students are enrolled in the school.

The locals have shown resentment over the incident and demanded restoration of educational activities in the school at the earliest.

A day earlier, federal education ministry drew urgent attention of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) chief secretary regarding the destruction of schools by terrorists in newly merged districts and demanded prompt action against the menace of terrorism.

In a letter written to the KP chief secretary, the federal secretary of the education ministry had expressed grave concern over the recent incidents of destruction of schools in the newly-merged districts of the province.

"It is particularly disheartening to note that these heinous acts of terrorism are disproportionately targeting institutions dedicated to girls'' education," the letter said.