Pakistan: Balakot girls school staff suspended over music function

Deputy commissioner of Mansehra district in Pakistan, Dr Qasim Ali Khan has suspended all staff members of the Government Primary School for Girls, Kanshian, Balakot, over a nighttime music function organised by a group of youth on campus.

He formed a committee led by the assistant commissioner of Balakot and comprising officials of the education department to look into the matter and fix responsibility for strict action.

The development came as the residents met the deputy commissioner in his office and sought action against school staff and event organisers. Dr Qasim said such music functions couldn’t be allowed in public sector schools and colleges, especially those for women.

Jamaat-i-Islami Khyber Pakhtunkhwa emir Mushtaq Ahmad Khan has said differences in the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) have exposed the politics of vested interests.

“The PDM’s differences or disintegration has provided another chance to the unpopular Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to stay in power,” Mr Mushtaq told reporters here on Wednesday.

He said the PDM was an alliance of ‘compromise and interests’ and its disintegration clearly showed that none of its members was sincere about the country and its people.

“The politics of PDM member parties is moving around their leaders and own interests,” he said.

The JI leader said Prime Minister Imran Khan wasn’t committed to the elimination of electoral horse-trading in the country. He claimed that the ruling PTI’s lawmakers sold their votes in the 2018 Senate elections to receive a total of Rs1 billion.

Mr Mushtaq criticised the government over escalating inflation and unemployment and failure to act against ‘sugar mafia’ over Rs500 billon fraudulent earnings.

Around 20 people robbed a family in its Hamshiran house here early on Wednesday.

Salahuddin Khan told the police that the robbers barged into his house, locked the family in a room, collected over Rs22 million worth of cash, gold ornaments and other valuables, and fled.

He said his father recently sold a piece of land for Rs40 million and the robbers repeatedly asked him for that amount of money. District police officer Asif Bahadar said the police had begun investigation after registering an FIR and would arrest robbers soon.

(Dawn)