KOHAT, Nov 18: A police party, led by Kohat district nazim, raided the Women Regional Institute for Teachers' Training on Thursday and allegedly manhandled senior instructors there.

The raid was conducted to forcibly evacuate the building where the district government has opened two unauthorized schools. The incident was a result of a year-long tussle between the district and provincial governments over the possession of the building.

The institute's instructors and other eyewitnesses told newsmen that at 9am, a police party led by district nazim Malik Asad and Urban-5 nazim Dr Matiullah Shah came to the building to get it vacated. When they were not allowed to enter the RITE premises, two policemen climbed the building and opened the main gate from inside. Later they tried to open the rooms' locks and manhandled the female staff when they put up resistance. During the scuffle, peon Shamim was also injured.

The SHO of Saddar police station, Jehangir Khan, and the Rescue 15 staff used abusive language against senior instructors and hurled stones at them.

The principal called senior police officers for help who reached the scene and stopped the district nazim and others from using force against helpless female staff.

ASP Jaffar advised the district nazim to contact the provincial department concerned to solve the issue amicably as it was a government-run institution and not a private building.

The ASP later deputed female police and two constables at the building for the safety of the RITE staff.

Terming it a shameful and illegal act of the district government, the staff urged the NWFP governor and chief secretary to order an inquiry into the incident and punish those responsible for taking law in their hands.

Some staff members told Dawn on phone 20 to 30 trainees always remained at the institute all the year round, and because they came from far-flung areas, they also needed hostel facility.

The institution remained open even during the summer vacations of schools. The district government had, as an alternative, offered them a primary school building which had no kitchen and gas facility, while the space there was not sufficient enough to accommodate both the costly gadgets and the staff.

The GTZ had promised to provide 40 computers for the training of teachers for which two big, extra rooms were required, they said. They demanded that if the government wanted to shift RITE it must first arrange a building equipped with all necessary facilities for senior trainee teachers.

The district nazim and the chairman of district education committee were not available for comments.

It may be mentioned that the Elementary College for Teachers, catering to the needs of teachers belonging to the southern NWFP since 1987, was renamed as RITE (F) after remaining closed for nine months. Through a notification issued on January 1, 2003, the NWFP government had closed down all the elementary training institutes in the province. But upon realising their importance, the government again issued a circular on October 1, 2003, which allowed such institutions to function under the new name of RITE. During the nine-month gap, the district government opened branches of Govt Girls High School No 1 and Primary School, College Town, without the provincial government's permission.

The district government, in breach of rules, had been asking the RITE to vacate the building and arrange another one with the help of the provincial education department. Neither the provincial government nor the district administration has been able to solve the problem even after the passage of one year.