A letter, apparently written by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, threatening to blow up a girls’ school in Peshawar turned out to be a hoax on Friday.
The letter had initially raised an alarm, with the Bomb Disposal Unit arriving at the government-run school at its earliest.
The vice principal of Girls High School in Yousufabad informed the police of the letter, which stated: “This is to inform you that your school will be blown up tomorrow night and the letter is sent in advance for your own safety”. It was signed by “Taliban Terrorist”.
However, the police, after initiating a search operation, did not discover any trace of a bomb.
SHO Ghafoor Khan of the Paharpur Police Station told The Express Tribune that the entire incident was a prank. “I think it was a joke by some boys in the vicinity since it’s a girls’ school,” he said.
An official of the Bomb Disposal Unit said that there was no trace of any act of terrorism and that the area had been cleared.
Police officials investigating the letter said that initial investigations revealed the writing was that of someone who did not know how to write. “Even the spellings and grammar of the letter are faulty,” they said.
Peshawar and adjacent areas have been attacked several times by militants who mostly target shops and vehicles. The police have maintained that these are targeted attacks mostly based on personal enmity or land disputes.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2011.
COMMENTS (3)
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Veena Malik should not do this because it is against I.S.I. and Pakistan.India wants this.
“Even the spellings and grammar of the letter are faulty,” they said.
Yes taliban are oxford graduates they don't make spelling mistakes. Seriously the amazing way our investigation agencies work baffles me.
Childish teenagers who think it's fun to bother the authorities and make fun of the innocent people who have been killed by criminals working for foreign agencies. The authorities should charge the responsible teenagers to prevent such insensitive pranks.