Teacher trainer among 3 detained in Paktika

SHARAN (PAN): Foreign forces arrested the head of a teacher training college, a worker and a high school student in southeastern Paktika province, officials said on Sunday.

The 203rd Thunder Military Corps said a joint Afghan-international security force seized a Kalashnikov, a pistol and three Russian guns during a raid on a house in the provincial capital, Sharan, and arrested three suspected people.

The suspected were being interrogated, it said in statement, but did not release further details.

However, Education Director Ihsanullah said foreign troops had arrested the head of a teacher training college, Syed Abbas Ayubi, a worker and a student of the Ali Baba High School.

He added they had taken up the issue with education ministry officials in Kabul and that efforts were being made to get the detainees released.

Ayubi’s grandfather, Din Mohammad, said foreign troops raided their house, 300 metres from the governor’s office. “They searched all rooms of our house, broke locks of boxes, tied hands of male family members and got out women from the house.”

The troops took away his grandson, Abbas, and two guests, Mohammad said, adding the detainees had no link to any group. Some money and jewelry were also missing after the raid, he said.

A tribal elder and member of the reform council, Ali Jan, said the college was built after great efforts and Abbas was arrested few days after the college’s inauguration.

He feared the arrests would have negative impact on teachers’ training process, urging the central government to intervene in the matter.

Paktika United Tribal Council head, Mullah Masoom, warned if foreign troops did not stop willful operations, the tribes would close all educational institutes in their respective areas.

ma/mud