12 schools torched in Pak, locals hold protest

Karachi/Islamabad, August 3 

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Twelve schools, half of them all-girls’, have been burnt down by unidentified assailants in coordinated attacks in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan, triggering protest by local residents who sought safety for educational institutions which are often attacked by militants, officials said today.

The schools in Chilas town, about 130-km from Gilgit, were targeted late last night by the militants who set them on fire and damaged school property across Diamer district, the police said on the attack in the relatively-peaceful region.

Superintendent of Police Diamer Roy Ajmal told media that 12 schools, half of them girls’ school, were targeted by rebels who fled after the attack. “Police have launched probe and security forces are searching for the culprits in the area,” he said.

Commissioner Diamer region Abdul Waheed Shah said no proof of a bomb attack on any school had been found so far.

Officials also said that some of the schools attacked by the miscreants were still under construction. Following the attacks, local residents staged a protest at Siddique Akbar Chowk demanding the arrest of culprits and seeking safety for educational institutes which are often targeted by the militants. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks. — PTI