Op-Ed: Pakistani girls banned from School

Pakistani girls in Swat Valley are banned from schooling by the order of Taliban. Those who disobey the order will be punished.

Swat Valley lies 150km northeast of Peshawar, with a population of 1.8 million, has been a hotbed of Islamist militancy for the past two years. A warning recently released on a clandestine FM radio station's broadcast by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that all girls should be taken out from school by January 15, 2009. It was rumoured that, by failing to do so, the schools will be bombed and violators would face death. It was also said that acid will be thrown to the school girls' face if they do not comply, like their counterparts did in Afghanistan to some girls some months back. Sources from TTP said they have nothing against girls going to school. They are just against the education being given to their daughters. These schools are Western and not keen in Islamic teachings. In the past year, education has been severely disrupted in the valley. There have been unannounced curfews, schools have been blown up or set on fire.