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| India-Pakistan |
| Swat female education ban echoes in NA |
| 2009-01-17 |
| The threat of extremists to close down all girls' schools in Swat on Thursday echoed in the National Assembly on Friday where the lawmakers condemned the move and urged the government to take action against those who wrongly interpreted the teachings of Islam. On a point of order, the PML-N's legislator Ayaz Amir drew the attention of the House towards the warning by extremists to close down all the girls' schools in Swat, and said it was unfortunate that girls in Swat were deprived of their right to education in the name of Islam. PML-Q MNA Amir Muqam said most of the schools in Swat had been destroyed. He also pointed out that no compensation had been paid to the heirs of over 1,000 people who had lost their lives in Swat unrest. The PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said it was a wrong interpretation of Islam to ban the female education. "Some people are imposing their tribal values and traditions in the name of Islam, which would defame the religion in the world." Responding to points of order, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman said the government would cooperate with the NWFP government in its efforts to protect female educational institutions in Swat and some other parts of the province. She said the president and the prime minister had taken serious notice of these attacks. She said the PPP had always tried to create consensus against the menace of terrorism. "Our great leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto sacrificed her life in the struggle against the dictatorship and terrorism and the PPP got the February 18 mandate on its anti-terrorism stance," said the minister. "The NWFP government has already taken several steps for protection of girl students and female educational institutions, and more steps would be taken to ensure that no attacks are carried out on female schools in future." The minister said the women caucus in the National Assembly would present a resolution in the House against attacks on female schools in Swat and some other parts of the Frontier province. |
| Posted by:Fred |