MARDAN, Feb 12: More than 8,000 students, both Afghans and Pakistanis, have been relieved from 55 Madaris in the Mardan division since Jan 12, the day President Pervez Musharraf announced crackdown on extremists.

More than 100 Madaris are operating in the Mardan division, of which 55 are considered big institutions where 2,500 Afghan and 5,500 local students receive education.

A Madressah administrator said that these students were taught Quran, Fiqah, Hadith, Islamic history and literature, current affairs, Arabic grammar, logic, and philosophy — Islamic, Greek and English.

OVERBILLING: The Nazim of Hoti Union Council, Mohmand Khan, has criticized Wapda authorities for overbilling and unscheduled loadshedding.