–Mahmood Khan withdraws district administration’s notification of making abaya mandatory for schoolgirls
–Education adviser says decision taken in line with traditions, Islamic values to curb incidents of harassment
PESHAWAR: Hours after the Peshawar district administration made it mandatory for schoolgirls to wear abaya (full body veil), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan retracted the notification, saying it was issued without government’s consent.
Secretary Education Arshad Khan had also told a local news outlet that the government would rescind the notification on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, district administration asked female students to cover their bodies during school hours to “protect themselves from unethical incidents”.
A notification was issued in this regard by Peshawar District Officer Samina Ghani, wherein, the heads of all girls’ schools were ordered to ensure compliance with the order.
Without mentioning any reason behind the order, the notification asked officials of the education department asked the matter to be treated as “most urgent and important”.
Adviser to KP CM on Education Ziaullah Bangash said that the decision was made keeping in view the traditions and religious values. “Decisions will have to be made in the province and the country in accordance with the Islamic values,” he said.
Bangash also said that the government had taken the decision over a large number of complaints of harassment. “Schoolgirls could wear any of an abaya, gown or chadar,” he said, adding that parents should remove their fears and get their girls educated.
