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TTP warns Malakand board

By Mazhar Tufail

ISLAMABAD: With private educational institutions in the strife-torn Swat Valley likely to slam their doors on more than 50,000 female students under threat from local Taliban, the Fazlullah-led militants have warned the Malakand Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education against allowing girls to appear in examinations.

A well-placed source told The News on Saturday: “The office of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education in Chakdara (Lower Dir) has received threats from the militants against the conduct of secondary and higher secondary school certificate examinations for girls, scheduled to be held in March and April respectively.”

Speaking to this correspondent over telephone from Chakdara, a board official confirmed “the authorities have been asked not to process admission forms of girl students and the threat has put theMalakand BISE high-ups in a quandary.”

A member of the rebel movement, meanwhile, revealed that an important meeting of the Shura of Swat chapter of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), led by Maulana Fazlullah, would be held next week to discuss the issue of ban on education of girls.

“Public resentment and possible resistance to the ban has prompted Taliban leaders to convene a session of their Shura,” said the source on condition of anonymity.

“However, no positive outcome is expected because the step seems to be an effort at justifying the ban, which has been bitterly criticised by all quarters, including the general public.”

The source said Fazlullah’s deputy Maulana Shah Dauran and TTP spokesman Muslim Khan would also attend the meeting. Dauran, who has been doing his nightly FM radiobroadcasts for several months, belongs to the Qambar village near Mingora and usually announces Shura’s decisions.

The source quoted Swat residents as saying that they listened to Dauran’s broadcasts to know about the decisions taken by the Taliban Shura to survive in the restive district.
Source: The news
Date:1/18/2009