Giving up: Teenage boy ends life after failing exams
Girls’ primary school bombed, classrooms, boundary wall destroyed.
SWABI:
A 15-year-old student, Farhad, committed suicide in the Sheikh Dheri area of Swabi after failing his school exams for the second time.
Farhad swallowed pesticides on Thursday and died on his way to the hospital. Funeral prayers were held on Friday.
“I was told that my son was fed-up with studies after he consecutively failed grade eight exams,” said the victim’s father, Muhammad Hassan. Hassan, a labourer working in Saudi Arabia, rushed to Pakistan after hearing about his son’s death.
He said that Farhad did not enjoy going to school but was forced to attend it by his family who hoped that Farhad would not become a blue-collar worker like his father.
Fida Muhammad, a local leader and close relative of the deceased, said that before committing suicide, the young boy went to school and distributed all his books among his peers saying that they might need them. He also told his classmates that he will not be attending school from now.
Muhammad added that the family has not yet filed a report on the case.
Girls’ school blown up
A government girls’ primary school was detonated by suspected militants in Shewa village of Swabi district.
According to the SHO at Kalu Khan police station, militants planted two bombs in tin canisters along the boundary wall, which blew up the school around 2:15am.
“Two class rooms and the boundary wall are completely destroyed by the impact of the blast,” said the SHO.
He added that the watchman of the school, Zahoor, was not present on duty and was sleeping in his house at the time of the explosion. He has been included in investigations.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2012.
A 15-year-old student, Farhad, committed suicide in the Sheikh Dheri area of Swabi after failing his school exams for the second time.
Farhad swallowed pesticides on Thursday and died on his way to the hospital. Funeral prayers were held on Friday.
“I was told that my son was fed-up with studies after he consecutively failed grade eight exams,” said the victim’s father, Muhammad Hassan. Hassan, a labourer working in Saudi Arabia, rushed to Pakistan after hearing about his son’s death.
He said that Farhad did not enjoy going to school but was forced to attend it by his family who hoped that Farhad would not become a blue-collar worker like his father.
Fida Muhammad, a local leader and close relative of the deceased, said that before committing suicide, the young boy went to school and distributed all his books among his peers saying that they might need them. He also told his classmates that he will not be attending school from now.
Muhammad added that the family has not yet filed a report on the case.
Girls’ school blown up
A government girls’ primary school was detonated by suspected militants in Shewa village of Swabi district.
According to the SHO at Kalu Khan police station, militants planted two bombs in tin canisters along the boundary wall, which blew up the school around 2:15am.
“Two class rooms and the boundary wall are completely destroyed by the impact of the blast,” said the SHO.
He added that the watchman of the school, Zahoor, was not present on duty and was sleeping in his house at the time of the explosion. He has been included in investigations.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2012.