Karachi: Two more girls’ schools have been burnt down by unidentified persons in Pakistan amid a spate of such incidents that have raised concerns over the safety of educational institutions which are often the target of militants who oppose women’s education, a report said on Wednesday.
This is the second major attack on an educational institution in Pakistan in a week. On Friday, unknown militants had set 12 schools — half of them all-girls’ ones — on fire in the country’s north Gilgit Baltistan.
Tuesday’s attack took place in Pishin district of the restive Balochistan province. No casualties were reported as the schools were set on fire during the night, Duniya News reported.
Girl’ schools in the northern areas of Pakistan often come under attack. In December 2011, at least two girls’ schools were partially damaged in low-intensity explosions in Chilas. In 2004, girls’ schools in Chilas came under a string of attacks. Nine schools, of which eight were girls-only, were attacked and destroyed over five days.
Terrorists have also blown up educational institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
According to a report, about 1,500 schools have been destroyed in the tribal belt during the last 10 years.
Nobel Prize winner and education activist Malala Yousafzai was also shot by the Taliban in 2012 for advocating girls’ education in Swat.
