SHANGLA: Students of a government primary school in Pir Abad union council here have been studying in tents since the devastating earthquake of 2005 flattened the building.

The school located in Pitaw village, where both boys and girls receive education, was established in 1996. Its building was badly damaged in the earthquake and the Unicef provided tents to keep the school running. The tents have now become worn out and are unusable, Waheed Akhter, a teacher, told Dawn.

He said the local notables and parents held talks with the education department, demanding reconstruction of the building, but to no avail.

“The school is located in a hilly area and when it rains and snows, water seeps through the shabby tents,” he regretted.

Wajida Bibi, a five grader, said she wished to become a teacher but the miserable condition of tent-school had dented her dream. She requested the education department to rebuild the school.

“We study together with girls students because there is no girl school in the area,” Ibrar Ahmed, a fourth grader said. He mocked the tall claims of the provincial government that it had turned around the educational infrastructure in the province, saying students had passion to get education and become responsible citizens of the country, but they lacked education facilities.

When contacted, education officer for planning and development Aurangzeb Khan told this scribe that a room was approved for the school recently on which work would start soon.

However, he said a request had been submitted to the authorities for construction of the required rooms as per the enrolment in the school.

COUNCILLOR THREATENS SELF-IMMOLATION: A woman village councillor from Banar Khwargai on Sunday threatened to commit self-immolation if ‘fake’ cases registered against her were not withdrawn.

Addressing a news conference at Bisham along with her husband Meraj Khan, Sultan Zeba alleged that former officials of Alpuri tehsil administration had registered fake cases against her about taking earthquake compensation cheque in 2015. She said she had been tired of visiting different government offices and courts in relation to the cases.

“I swear that I did not take any compensation cheque and the allegations against me are false,” she regretted.

The councillor asked the authorities to order withdrawal of cases against her and provide her with justice.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2017