12 schools bombed in Diamer

PESHAWAR: Twelve schools -- eight girls and four boys’ schools -- were attacked by bombs and set on fire overnight in a northern Pakistani district where Taliban-linked militants opposed to girls education are active, police said on Friday.

Pakistani Taliban and allied Islamist militants, who regard girls’ education as anti-Islam, have been attacking thousands of schools for young women in northwestern and northern parts of the country.

Police said the attacks in villages of Diamer district in northern Gilgit, an area known for its scenic beauty but which has seen Taliban-linked attacks on foreign tourists and Shia Muslims, had been a well planned and coordinated act, police chief Raja Ajmal said.

The attackers had also tried to break into an army-run school, but had been stopped by guards, said a local resident, Ghayas Ali. "People heard heavy explosion. No one has claimed responsibility. No casualties were reported. You know well who is doing these types of acts and what their motives are," the officer told Reuters by phone. He said the residents had a history of opposing girl education, but the government recently helped build girls’ schools there. --Reuters

AFP adds: "The miscreants tried to damage around 12 schools in Diamer district. They tried to set fire to some of them and broke windows and doors of some others," regional home secretary Jawad Akram told AFP. Akram said the local government had begun searching for the attackers.

Dildar Ahmed Malik, a senior official in Diamer district, said at least 10 of the burnt schools were for girls. "The incident took place in a far-flung area. We are investigating it, but the inquiry will take time because of the remoteness of the region," he said.

Gilgit Baltistan has been relatively free of the violent militancy that has plagued other parts of Pakistan for years. The region is home to world’s second highest mountain, K2, and numerous other peaks attracting mountaineers and tourists from around the world.

APP adds: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday strongly condemned torching of girls schools at Diamir district of Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to party's central Media Department, Secretary Information PTI Gilgit Baltistan Taqi Akhunzada said the incident of torching girls’ schools showed the inefficiency of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) government in GB.

He said it was very sad that till now the miscreants involved in this heinous act were not arrested. He claimed that PML-N government in Gilgit-Balitistan was completely failed, especially in providing secure environment to the girls’ schools. He demanded that educational institutions must be provided security and those responsible be brought to justice.