Taliban shut Paktika schools used as voter centers

SHARANA (Pajhwok): A number of schools have been closed after being threatened by Taliban militants in this capital city and Matakhan district of southeastern Paktika province, an official said Tuesday.

Matakhan district chief Gul Agha told Pajhwok Afghan News all schools in the town had been closed since three days after the Taliban issued warnings over using the schools as voter registration centers.

He said more than seven schools in Matta Khan district had been closed, with efforts of tribal elders and youth to reopen the schools failing.

Shah Wali, a resident of Sharana, the provincial capital, asked the government to change shift registration centers from schools or task tribal elders with resolving the problem through talks with the Taliban.

Mohammad Karim Atalwal, Islamic studies department head at the provincial Education Department, said all teachers had been directed to regularly attend classes, calling elections “a national process.”

Bilal Shahbaz, head of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), said voter registration centers had been selected through a plan and changing their location was now beyond their authority.

nh/ma

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