MANSEHRA: The residents on Monday demanded the start of intermediate classes in the only higher secondary school for girls in the Danda-Kholian area of Oghi tehsil here.

Accompanied by a group of people, former naib tehsil nazim Hafiz Mohammad Yunustold reporters that local girls had to go to other cities or quit formal education after matriculation as schools in the area didn’t offer intermediate courses.

He said the higher secondary school for girls had got a separate building for intermediate students four years ago but failed to begin those classes.

Mr Yunus said the up-gradation of the school to the higher secondary level was approved around six years ago.

Say building for higher secondary section put up four years ago

“A building for the higher secondary section was put up four years ago but classes have yet to take place there,” he said.

The former naib nazim said the residents had taken up the matter with authorities and local lawmakers many times, but to no avail.

He warned that if the education department didn’t ensure the start of intermediate classes in the school, the residents would take to the streets.

Also in the day, the residents of Oghi tehsil demanded another boys college and upgradation of high schools for boys and girls to improve people’s access to formal education.

Along with a group of people, lawyer Irfan Khan Swati told reporters that a boys’ college had been functioning in the area for many decades but it was struggling to cater to the people’s needs.

He said boys had to move to Mansehra and other districts in Hazara division for further education, so a new college for them should be opened.

Mr Khan also said all government high schools in Dilbori, Khabl and Kokla should be upgraded to the higher secondary level.

HANGING POWER LINES: Traders on Monday complained that power lines had been hanging in the markets of Oghi area and its suburbs threatening public life and property.

“Power wires are dangerously hanging from poles near shops and business centres. If they stay like that, we can’t rule out the possibility of a human tragedy,” trader leader Ilyas Tanoli told reporters in the Oghi area.

Mr Tanoli said businesses suffered massive damage and even people lost lives to the fire caused by short circuits on those power lines. He said traders had taken the issue with high-ups of the power utility, Pesco, but to no avail.

“If Pesco doesn’t change those wires within a week, we [traders] will stage street protests to force it into doing so,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2023