DERA GHAZI KHAN, July 2: The education and police departments have turned a deaf ear to the plea of a primary school headmistress, who was beaten up and deprived of valuables by some 'influential' people demanding cooking oil tins from the share of students.

Reports said the headmistress at Ghaluwala centre, Choti Zaireen, was distributing cooking oil tins among students on June 25 when some people stormed into the school and demanded oil cans from her.

On refusal, they thrashed the headmistress and her brother, who tried to rescue her, and took away oil tins and their belongings. Thereafter, she reported the matter to the department higher-ups and police, but no action has so far been taken against the suspects.

Victim's father Irshad Khan told this correspondent that the relevant police were not ready to register a case against the nominated men because they were influential. He alleged that the school's caretaker was involved in the attack on her daughter because he wanted oil tins for sale.

He claimed that his daughter was feeling insecurity and was unable to perform her duties, as the culprits were threatening her with dire consequences. It is learnt that District Nazim Jamal Khan Leghari, EDO (Education) Shujat Mand Khan and the police higher-ups knew about the incident, but they had yet to take any action. When contacted, the EDO told Dawn that he could not transfer the teacher to any other school for her security because of a ban (on transfers).