BAJAUR: The educational institutions in Khar tehsil of Bajaur district resumed operations on Saturday after remaining closed for three weeks, where internally displaced persons of the operation-affected areas of Mamund region were accommodated.

Officials and residents told Dawn that although the education department had announced reopening of all educational institutions in Khar tehsil a couple of weeks ago, but the schools remained closed as internally displaced persons were housed there. The schools were closed on August 30 on the directives of the local administration.

“Some two weeks ago, the local education department, in line with directives of the district administration, announced the resumption of academic activities in all educational institutions in Khar tehsil , arranging classes in institutions sheltering internally displaced persons, but it failed to yield the desired results,” sources in the local education department told Dawn on Saturday.

A local education department official, however, told this correspondent that following the failure of the previous plan, the department decided to only resume classes for grades 9 and 10 in high schools and 11 and 12 in colleges.

He claimed that the strategy was not only successful but also encouraged the management of several other schools in the area to make their institutions functional about three days ago, mainly due to the departure of most displaced families.

Although, as per a statement by the local education department, educational activities resumed on Tuesday in some institutions in different areas of Khar tehsil, a peaceful region of the district with mostly urban localities, where around 274 public and private schools had been sheltering internally displaced persons from the Lowi Mamund and War Manund tehsils since the launch of the targeted operation in August 11.

However, according to residents and institution managements, educational activities in most institutions in Khar tehsil resumed on Saturday, following the recent departure of thousands of displaced families to their native areas, which were declared free of militants by the authorities.

Meanwhile, assistant commissioner Khar subdivision, Dr Sadiq Ali, told Dawn on Saturday that around 80 percent of educational institutions in Khar tehsil, catering to students from grade 1 to grade 8, both public and private, and for boys and girls, had reopened.

The official added that besides the educational institutions, most of the seminaries (Madrsaas), where the IDPs were sheltered, have also been reopened in Khar tehsil.

The Assistant Commissioner acknowledged that accommodating the large number of internally displaced persons - approximately 178,000 - in educational institutions in a dignified manner, while also resuming academic activities, was a challenging task, which was done through effective management and wise planning.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2025