NORTH WAZIRIS­TAN: A private girls’ school was blown up by unidentified militants in Tehsil Shewa of North Waziristan district on Wednesday night, police sources said.

They said the militants first tortured the school watchman and later blew up two rooms of the school. There was, however, no loss of life in the explosion.

Similar attacks took place in May of last year when two government schools for girls in Mirali were blown up. No loss of life was reported in the incidents.

Around 500 girls were enrolled in the two schools — Government Girls Middle School, Noor Jannat and Government Girls Middle School, Yunus Kot — which were targeted by the attackers around midnight.

Local sources said that it was the only private girls’ school in the area and its administration had received multiple threat letters in the past.

Meanwhile, locals in North Waziristan have warned of suspending power supply from Miramshah grid station if the duration of power supply to the district was not extended to six hours’ a day.

Local elders, following a grand Jirga held in Miram­shah on Thursday, told the media that the district is supplied electricity for only two hours a day, adding that the federal government generated thousands of megawatts of electricity from Warsak, Gomal Zam, Mohmand, Kurram Garhi and Kurram Tangi dams, but it did not supply power to these areas.

The tribal elders warned of suspending power supply if the duration for power supply was not extended from two to six hours, adding that they would blow up the power pylons if their concerns were not addressed.

After a similar meeting last week, elders from all tribes in North Waziristan warned of uprooting electricity infrastructure and expelling utility company’s staff if their demands were not met.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2024