SWABI: Two men fired gunshots in the air outside a government school for girls in Chota Lahor tehsil on Thursday.

No damage to human life was reported in the firing, which took place almost an hour before the school’s closing time.

The gunmen riding a motorcycle fled before the local residents showed up.

Having learnt about the incident, parents rushed to the school in panic to know about the safety of their children.

They expressed reservation about security checks at and around government schools in the area and demanded early corrective measures by the administration.

The police said soon after the incident, they cordoned off the area and began a search operation. They said they had arrested 70 suspicious people and were interrogating them.

The incident occurred five days after the reopening of schools and colleges in the district.

The educational institutions were closed after the militants massacre schoolchildren and teachers in Army Public School Peshawar on Dec 16.

When contacted, DSP Azhar Shah said the police had visited most of the 394 government and private educational institutions in Chota Lahor tehsil and asked their administrations to enhance security on the premises.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2015

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