PHC orders officials to visit 134 Mohmand schools facing closure

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday directed authorities of the Fata Secretariat to visit 134 government schools in Mohmand Agency, whose closure has been decided by the secretariat due to shortage of students.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice and Justice Muhammad Ayub Khan also sought students’ attendance report in a writ petition filed by tribal elders Haji Ameer Dost and others through their lawyer Shah Nawaz Khan.

The lawyer said the Fata Secretariat had decided closure of those schools where students’ numbers are less than 40 and thus pointed out 134 schools, mostly girls’ schools, to be closed down in the agency.

He said under the decision, the students and teachers would be merged into other schools of the agency.

The lawyer submitted that a large number of locals were still living as Internally Displaced Persons in camps due to military operations against militants and thus the number of students decreased in these schools. 

He said the numbers of students would increase after return of the IDPs to their homes in the agency.

The lawyer termed the government’s decision a violation of fundamental rights of citizens as majority of female students would be deprived of education if these schools were closed.

The deputy advocate general, who was representing the government in the case, informed the court that more than nine months had been given to the schools to improve attendance.

The lawyer said the court had also ordered the government in this case to first give an advertisement in newspapers about closure of the schools and then the officials should visit and check the attendance before the decision on closure.

He said the government did not follow the orders of the court and decided to close the schools.

The bench directed the officials of Fata Secretariat to visit the schools on November 15 and submit the attendance report of the schools.  The court fixed December 1 for the next hearing into the case.