BAJAUR: Teachers of government schools on Thursday staged a protest demonstration against the killing of their colleague in a roadside bomb blast in Badan area here on Wednesday.

The demonstration, held on Inayat Kallay-Mamond road in Umary area of Mamund tehsil, was organised by All Bajaur Teachers Association.

Besides teachers of government schools, scores of students also attended the demonstration that continued for two hours during which the road remained closed to traffic.

Holding placards inscribed with condemnations, the protesters said the killing of teacher Mufti Shafiullah in the roadside blast was a matter of serious concern for the teachers of the district.

The speakers said that Shafiullah was the fifth teacher who was martyred while on way to school in the region in past few years. They claimed that the police could not arrest culprits in all these cases.

They said Shafiullah was a peaceful and committed teacher and had no dispute with anyone in the region.

They demanded the police to take immediate steps for arrest of the killers of Mufti Shafiullah and ensure safety of teachers of government schools across the district. The speakers warned to stage protest demonstrations across the district if their demands were not addressed within six days.

The teachers ended the protest after a team of district administration officials led by tehsildar Abdul Wakeel Khan met with their leaders and said that efforts were under way to trace the culprits. He said that two suspected persons had been arrested during the ongoing search operation in the area.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2022