MIANWALI, Sept 15: All government high schools were closed on Thursday in protest against police excesses, illegal occupation of a school hostel by an NGO and arrest of the Government High School headmaster. Reports said the police had registered a case against newly-appointed headmaster Abdul Rashid at the behest of the Blind Association president for allegedly trying to retake the control of a school hostel from a blind association NGO a few days back.

On Thursday morning, the headmaster along with his staff members and dozens of students went to the hostel to accommodate students there. However, they found that all locks were broken and some unknown men armed with Kalashnikovs were present in the hostel along with blind association president Samiullah Shah. Seeing them entering into the hostel, the armed men started pelting stone on students and teachers.

Taking a prompt action, the headmaster called out the emergency police, who, instead of arresting the armed men, took with them the headmaster and sent him behind bars.

The news spread like a wildfire and teachers and headmasters of all high schools of Mianwali rushed to the police station and forced the police to release the headmaster.

They argued that the police could not arrest a grade-19 officer without prior approval from highups. Owing to sudden transfers of the DPO and DCO, teachers and headmasters appeared before officiating DPO Altaf Wattoo, the City DSP, and narrated him the whole episode.

The protesting teachers asked him to register a case against culprits occupying the hostel, but the DSP misbehaved with teachers. They fell in a rage and had the headmaster released from the police custody. In a unanimous decision, the teachers announced the closure of all high schools in Mianwali.

Later, in an emergent meeting of Headmasters and Teachers Association, they unanimously condemned the misbehaviour of police with teachers, refusal to register a case against the armed men occupying the hostel and demanded withdrawal of a fake case against the headmaster.

They also decided to close all high schools, including Government High School, M.B High School, Government Central Model High School, Government High School, PAF Colony and Government Comprehensive High School, till the acceptance of their demands.