Taliban militants shut girls’ schools in Logar

PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): Taliban insurgents have shut girls’ schools above sixth grade in central Logar province, depriving thousands of children of their right to education, an official said on Thursday.

Logar Director of Education, NisarAhmad Saeedi, told Pajhwok Afghan News Taliban insurgents had ordered closed girls’ schools above sixth grade in the provincial capital and districts from the past one month.

He said 60 girls’ high schools and secondary schools had been shut, depriving thousands of girls of lessons.

Saeedi added the Taliban had warned staff of schools over the phone not to show up at schools which resulted in closure of girls’ schools.

“I tried to solve the matter by tribal elders but it did not work,” Saeedi said.

AbdulBasit, a resident of Kalangar area of Pul-i-Alam told Pajhwok Afghan News that their village was 8km away from the capital, Pul-i-Alam and the Taliban had closed girls’ schools. He said from house alone eight girls went to school.

A teacher of Bibi Amina High School in Pul-i-Alam, wishing anonymity, told Pajhwok Afghan News the Taliban had shut down schools since a month now and they could not reopen the schools fearing Taliban’s wrath.

Didar Lawang, the provincial council chairman, told Pajhwok Afghan News the local authority was looking for possible ways to reopen these schools, adding such acts of Taliban proved their enmity with the people.

The Taliban on the other hand did not respond to Pajhwok regarding the matter but they had earlier told Pajhwok that they did not have any problem with schools that taught girls below sixth standard.

It is worth mentioning that the Taliban have closed all religious institutes over the past two years in Logar province.

Hr/ma

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