Huge protests after Diamer girls school set ablaze

Girls Middle School located in Darail area of Diamir burnt down in wee hours of Tuesday

DIAMER:

A girls’ school in the wee hours of Tuesday was set ablaze in Darel valley of Gilgit-Baltistan's Diamer district by unidentified people.

Following the incident, hundreds of female students and teachers from across the district staged a protest later in the day against the move.

They demanded the immediate arrest of of the culprits, who had set the school on fire, and mete out severe punishment to the “terrorists”.

The blaze completely gutted the school. None of its furniture could survive the fire.

The local police have filed an FIR, according to which the culprits set the Girls Middle School on fire and escaped.

The FIR was registered under Section 6 (terrorist act) and 7 (punishment for terrorist act) of the Anti-Terrorism Act as well as Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

G-B Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid and Chief Secretary Muhiudeen Wani  directed the police and other officials to ensure the arrest of the culprits involved in the heinous act.

The chief minister has sought a report from the police with the commitment to take “strict action” against the criminals behind the incident.

CM Khurshid termed the burning of the school “upsetting” and ordered the immediate repair of the school so that educational activities could be continued.

Reacting to the incident, the G-B chief secretary said: “We will not let them [the protesting students and teachers] down and will hunt the miscreants and bring them to justice”.

He pledged that the authorities would restore and rebuild the school in the next few days.

“This school will be the best school as far as infrastructure is concerned,” he vowed.

He added that the school would also have additional facilities of an IT lab, sports and library.

“Now the Deputy Commissioner, Commissioner, DIG and SSP Diamer and Chillas will be responsible for the protection of educational institutions of girls,” the official said.

The G-B chief secretary further said that there was no room for intolerant behaviour towards girls’ education.

On August 3, 2018 in Diamer district, 12 schools — at least half of them girls’ schools — were burnt down by miscreants in an apparent attack on education, which is defined as the epitome of progress in most advanced societies.