Even as summer vacations have ended and government-run educational institutions have started reopening, a number of schools in Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan Agency, are still closed owing to threats from the Taliban.
“Taliban militants, through a leaflet, have directed parents not to send girls to schools in official camp,” a civil officer in Miranshah said when contacted by Pakistan Today on Thursday.
He said these schools were close to the main road where the armed forces had set up a checkpost.
The official said the Taliban demanded removal of the checkpost as they opposed the search of vehicles and people. They warned that if the checkpost was not removed, they would not let parents send their daughters to both the schools close to the army checkpost.
Meanwhile, the state-run schools reopened on completion of summer vacations from September 2. The agency’s education officer, Zawail Khan Wazir, told Pakistan Today that attendance in all government schools was satisfactory and there were no threats.