Swat Taliban announce ban on female education from Jan 15

[Naveed Yaseen]

MINGORA: The Maulana Fazlullah-led militants, operating in the restive Swat Valley, have announced a complete ban on female education from January 15 and warned violators of harsh action.

Shah Dauran, the vice chief of Swat militants and in charge of the FM radio, announced that no government or private educational institution would enrol girls. He said all schools and colleges should stop female education by January 15.

He threatened to blow up all schools violating the ban, adding the schools providing education to girls would be forced to close. The militants in Swat, who have been known for their strong opposition to women education, have bombed or torched around 100 girls’ schools to forcibly stop girls from going to school in the district.

Due to their opposition and escalation of war between the security forces and the militants, dozens of schools have been either destroyed or closed. Actually, the terrorists went to the extent of destroying all schools, irrespective of boys and girls, in a bid to “Islamise” their curriculum.

Another argument the militants’ top leaders, including their chief Maulana Fazlullah, present is to destroy everything owned by the government because the security forces had been razing their houses and killing their colleagues.

The provincial government in June-July launched an ad campaign in newspapers to create a soft corner in the hearts of militants to stop blowing up schools but that ended up in smoke. APP adds: At least 11 more militants were killed when the security forces attacked their hideouts at Shakardara in Swat district on Wednesday.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=19194