03/08/2014
QUETTA/GWADAR: Some armed religious fanatics of a hitherto unknown Al
Jihad organisation set a private English medium school on fire in
Turbat area of the Kech district on Tuesday.
They also left
pamphlets with the name of Al Jihad in the school and in the area,
warning the people of Balnigore to desist from sending their children to
English medium schools to study English or risk unspecified
repercussions.
“People should not send their children to schools
or English language centres for studying English,” warned the pamphlet.
It asked people to send their children only to madressahs to get
religious education.
Chief Minister Dr Malik Baloch ordered
officials concerned to take steps to ensure security to all schools,
language centres, students, their parents and teachers.
Official
sources told Dawn that the incident took place in Balnigore area of the
district on Monday night when these terrorists barged into the school
premises, overpowered the watchman and set the building on fire.
The principal, Jamal Ahmed, told Dawn that 200 girls and boys study in the school
“I
had been receiving threats from unknown people for the past eight
months, but despite these threats we continued classes,” he said.
He
said that all books in a library, furniture and computers were gutted,
forcing the administration to close the school for the time being.
“A
portion of the school, books, furniture and computers were gutted in
the huge fire,” Abdullah Khoso, Assistant Commissioner of Turbat, told
Dawn, adding that the school building was also damaged in the fire.
“It was the first incident of burning of any private English medium school in Kech district,” Mr Khoso said.
Several
private English medium schools and language centres were attacked in
Panjgur district In May this year, by unknown armed men and an
organisation, known as Al Furqan Al Islami, had claimed responsibility
for these attacks.
Owners and the administration of these private
schools had been asked by the organisation to stop educating girls in
their institutions. Parents were also warned against sending their
daughters to private schools and English language centres.
Armed men had attacked four private schools and set fire to vehicles carrying girls to these institutions.
Around
two dozen private English medium schools and language centres had
remained closed for three months in Panjgur district and reopened only
last month after the government assured private school managements of
full security.
A school was attacked and set on fire in Panjgur a
few days ago by unknown armed men. However, the school administration
and the private school association refused to close their institutions.
Official sources in Turbat said that it was the first incident of burning of any private school in the Kech district.
“All
possible efforts will be made to provide security to all private
schools in Kech district. Around a dozen private schools are in the
district,” an official said, adding that the private school association
had announced that they would not close their schools and resist these
elements’ conspiracy to keep the people ignorant and uneducated.
The principal of the school, Jamal Ahmed, told Dawn that 200 girls and boys were studying in the school
“I
had been receiving threats from unknown people for the past eight
months but despite these threats we continued classes,” he said.
He
said that all books in a library, furniture and computers were gutted,
forcing the administration to close the school for the time being.
Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2014
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