—File Photo.

KABUL: Afghanistan's education minister has threatened to punish schoolgirls who claim to suffer from alleged “poisonings” that many officials believe are actually temporary psychological illnesses.

Scores of girls' schools over recent years have seen mysterious mass faintings, nausea and similar symptoms that are often blamed by police and the local media on poisoning by Taliban insurgents or toxic gas leaks.

But no laboratory evidence of poison or other toxins has ever been found at schools and no deaths have occurred, with the girls often released from hospital after only a few hours.

In the latest case, 200 girls were reported to have been “poisoned” at a school in Kabul on May 1, causing an outbreak of screaming, stomach aches and vomiting.

“From now on, if I find anyone saying 'I'm poisoned' and the poisoning is not proved by the hospital, I will punish the student,” Education Minister Ghulam Farooq Wardak told a press conference on Tuesday.

“I will punish the teacher, I will punish the head teacher and I will punish the school director,” he added.

The education department said the government was determined to crack down on the causes of outbreaks of psychological illnesses among young girls.

“When one student faints, it spreads around and everyone might think it's poisoning,” Mohammad Kabir Haqmal, spokesman for the ministry, told AFP.

“If tests prove it is mass hysteria or any other natural cause, of course no one will be punished. What the minister said was that we will pursue those who disrupt the classes.”

Wazhma Frouqh, a female education activist, criticised the minister's stance and said that previous cases of “poisonings” had dissuaded families from sending their daughters to school.

“The minister should not have said that he will punish schoolgirls,” she told AFP. “His job is to find out what has happened and protect schools.”

Girls were banned from going to school under the Taliban, but numbers have risen since the extremist regime was ousted in 2001 and the government says 40 per cent of pupils are now female.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.