GHALANAI: Government offices and educational institutions reopened here on Monday after the suicide attack on the political compound on Feb 15, which killed five persons and injured several others, but the attendance remained thin.

Locals said the offices in the agency headquarters, Ghalanai, wore a deserted look as majority of employees could not show up. They said that checking of vehicles at the entry and exit points to the political compound also continued.

Unlike the past when there were queues of vehicles parked on both sides of main road leading to the agency headquarters, Monday saw the road almost deserted.

A lone car was parked in the parking lot of the political compound, where it is normally next to impossible to find any space during the working hours.

There were also a few visitors to the Nadra and passport offices.

Attendance in private and government educational institutions was also thin.

Residents said boys and girls students of some schools returned from their schools in the morning because no teacher turned up. Some parents said they sent their children to schools to show to terrorists that such coward acts could not deter them. An official said the attendance in government offices would improve today (Tuesday).

Meanwhile, security forces on Monday defused an improvised explosive device planted by unknown miscreants on the Alignar road near Bilal Masjid area of Safi tehsil. Sources said that BDU personnel were on a routine check when they spotted an IED planted along the Alignar road which was safely defused.

Later, the security forces conducted a search operation in the adjoining areas, but no one was arrested.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2017