In the past one week, over fourteen girls’ schools have been attacked in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan. On Thursday three government schools were blown up, while ten were set on fire. Similarly on Saturday, another school was torched, while police causalities escalated to two in fighting off these vigilantes. From the bullets Malala Yousafzai received for her undeterred quest for education, or the massacre of many school children at the Army Public School in Peshawar; Islamic extremists have been targeting, every Pakistani child’s right to an education.
Diamer’s educational institutions have been continuously under attack by radicals, since 2004. The district, notwithstanding the recent tragedies, already faces serious obstacles in providing quality education, especially to girls. The Alif Ailaan District Education Rankings 2017, ranked Diamer in the ten lowest ranking districts in terms of quality education. Moreover, out of 16,800 students enrolled in 244 government schools, only 20 percent are female.
The recent events highlight two imperative flaws in Pakistani society; firstly the proliferation of intolerant factions, and secondly the dilemma of sub-standard education. Unfortunately these radical elements have taken advantage of the lack of security provided to educational institutions and intend to discourage the youth from receiving knowledge. This vicious cycle of extremism and ignorance, not only threatens peace today, but handicaps future prosperity and growth.
In a country that has just finished its first decade of uninterrupted democracy (2008-2018), attacks upon its children and schools cast a grave shadow across this era. Education which is the cure for many of our economic, political and social ills has to be protected under all costs. If Pakistan wishes to continue along its journey of achieving freedom and dispensing justice, then it must firstly foster a secure environment for gaining knowledge. *
Published in Daily Times, August 6th 2018.