Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: Hundreds of students along with private school teachers and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement(PTM) workers on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration against the terrorism bids targeting schools in Landikotal.
Private Schools Association Landikotal led the protest held at Charwazgay Chowk on the Pak-Afghan Highway. Private school students, teachers and owners were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans that they wanted peace in Landikotal and education was their right.
Speaking on the occasion, private school owner and managing director Abdur Raziq Shinwari, Rehman Ali Shinwari, Private Schools Association president Iqbal Khan Afridi and Bahadar Khan Shinwari said that if attacking their schools was not stopped they would be compelled to stop Pak-Afghan supply line in Landikotal. The school owners said they would not allow a truck to proceed towards the Torkham border.
Abdur Raziq Shinwari said tribal had rendered sacrifices for the independence of Pakistan. He said they had also fought the war for Kashmir independence in 1948. He shouted slogans along with students that they wanted peace in Landikotal. He said if again any school was targeted with with IED explosion they would be compelled to take classes on the main Pak-Afghan highway in Landikotal.
The speakers appealed for the president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur to take notice of the growing militancy in tribal areas and stop targeting schools.
It may be added here that in the last two weeks, a private school and its owner’s house were targeted by IED explosions that raised concerns among the private school owners and teachers.
Meanwhile, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement(PTM) also protested against the militancy-related incidents in Landikotal. Several PTM workers headed by PTM Khpyber coordinator Aftab Shinwari Pashteen said they did not want to put the region into a proxy war again. Aftab Shinwari Pashteen said the state must take notice of the school bombing and arrest the culprits. He said PTM would raise its voice against the next episode of proxy war in tribal areas.
