QUETTA: The Balochistan Education Department has failed to locate more than 100 government-run schools in Quetta, a senior official told DawnNews.

"We have not been able to locate 100 schools in Quetta city," Balochistan Education Secretary Dr Omar Babar told DawnNews, adding that the department will complete the verification process of teachers and schools within next six months.

According to the education department's data, the number of government-run schools in Quetta was 572, of which more than 400 have been verified but the department officials have failed to locate more than 100 schools.

"We will stop funds of these schools, which could not be verified," the education secretary said. He, however, stated that currently he was not in a position to share the exact figure of missing schools in all the 32 districts of Balochistan as the verification process was still underway.

Babar added that the number of government teachers registered in the province was 60,000, however around 20,000 cannot be verified despite being paid a formidable amount in salary and perks.

Related: Balochistan stops funds for 650 ‘ghost schools’

Salman Naveed Khan, Political Advocacy Campaign Manager for Alif Ailaan, while talking to DawnNews, suggested Real Time Monitoring System (RTMS) as the only way to trace out missing schools in districts of Balochistan beyond the provincial capital.

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