He must be punished for the terror he caused, principal says. PHOTO: FILE
A spokesperson for Dijkot police said Muhammad Azeem, a student at the Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School, had burst crackers right after the morning assembly. Pandemonium ensued.
“It was absolute bedlam,” Akhtar Ali, one of the students said. “I was walking towards my classroom when I heard, what sounded like, gunshots…the next thing I know, everyone was running hither thither.” He said he had thought his school had been attacked. “I figured the terrorists would kill everyone in classrooms so I ran towards the boundary wall and jumped over it…I ran as far as I could.”
Police were called and they took Azeem into custody.
Dijkot Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School Principal Muhammad Taufail said the school assembly had just ended at 8am. “The students were walking towards their classes when loud bangs, which sounded like several Kalashnikov rifles going off, were heard.” He said the bangs had continued for more than three minutes.
Khalid Mukhtar, another student, said, “I had not left the assembly ground when I heard the noise. I could not understand whether it was gun shots or crackers, but I considered it a bomb explosion. Therefore, I ran towards my classroom, but then I saw that other children were running outwards and the teachers were following them. I also started running towards the outer gate of the school. However, when I reached near the main gate I found it closed. I jumped over the wall to save my life”, he added.
The principal said they were shell-shocked. “There was no warning and we were scared.”
He said Azeem had tried to flee but a school guard had chased him and a few people in the area had helped the guard catch him.
“When I asked why he would do such a cruel thing, Azeem said that he was curious to see how everyone would react,” the principal said. “I thought my class fellows would congratulate me for pranking everyone.”
The principal said he had reprimanded Azeem and had told him that what he had done had terrorised the school body. Azeem was then handed over to Dijkot police for further action, he said.
Dijkot SHO Yousuf Shehzad said they had received an application from the school principal requesting the registration of a case. “We will ascertain facts and consider registering a case after taking advice from the Legal Branch.”
The SHO said they were also talking to the parents of students, notables in the areas and the school administration to see if Azeem could get off with a warning. He said that was why they hadn’t registered a case against him yet.
The principal, however, said, “Azeem has committed a serious offence and must be punished …I handed him over to the police. My job is done.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 26th, 2016.
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