PESHAWAR: Militants blew up a government-run primary school for girls in Adezai area on the suburbs of provincial metropolis on Tuesday, police said
An official of Matani police station said that militants planted five explosive devices at the three-storey building and exploded them through a remote at about 1.25am. He said that each of the explosive devices weighed about five kilograms. He said that it was the second girls` school, which was blown up within a month in the area.
Adezai Qaumi Lashkar chief Dilawar Khan, when contacted, said that the school had been constructed with financial support of Germany where all basic facilities were available. In the prevailing situation the government was bound to make arrangements for protection of schools but it did not do so, he added.
“We have time and again asked police high-ups to assign duty to volunteers of the lashkar to protect schools but they are reluctant to do so,” he said and added that police and Frontier Constabulary were stationed at one place and the rest of area was left for militants.
Mr Khan feared if government did not take immediate steps against local suspects they would continue facilitating militants in carrying out subversive acts.
In Swabi district, a tower of 1100 KV transmission line, supplying electricity from Tarbela Dam, was partially damaged when two bombs, planted by unidentified persons, went off on Tuesday.
The tower was completely damaged in 2009 and it was the second attempt to disrupt the main supply line from Tarbela Dam.
Officials said that total four bombs were planted at the tower but only two of them went off at 4am. The tower was partially damaged by the blasts. The locals and policemen rushed to the scene of occurrence to see the damage caused by the blasts.
Officials said that the remaining bombs, which did not blast, were defused. “We were lucky that all the four bombs didn`t blast. Had all of them blasted, they would have caused serious damage to the main supply line, causing suspension of power supply to the outage-ridden people of the country,” said an official. He said that the bombs were locally made.
“Both the past and the latest incidents make it clear that miscreants are present in the region,” said an official, adding that local administration had taken all precautionary measures but it might be difficult for police to guard all the towers.
Source: Dawn
Date:4/27/2011