PESHAWAR: After recent kidnapping of students and teachers of Cadet College, Razmak by Taliban militants from Frontier Region (FR) Bakkakhel in Bannu district, certain government functionaries and politicians are pondering over the possibility of shifting the college out of the restive North Waziristan tribal region to a relatively safer district of the NWFP, however, the Utmanzai tribes in North Waziristan saw the incident as a conspiracy hatched by certain elements to shift the college and thus deprive the people of the area of quality education.
The Torikhel tribespeople, who live in the scenic Razmak town - located on the border between North and South Waziristan tribal regions - suspect the recent kidnapping of the students and teachers part of a conspiracy to dissuade the students and teachers from coming again to Razmak for their studies.
Some teachers have also reportedly refused to continue with their jobs in Razmak due to threats to their lives.
Parents of students kidnapped by the Taliban militants and then released due to the efforts of Torikhel and Utmanzai tribal jirgas were also concerned about the safety of their sons and were reluctant to send them back to Razmak for studies.
The college was built in 1978 by the then prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Due to its natural beauty and pleasant weather, Razmak is often called ‘Chota London’ or mini-London.
Five seats were reserved for Torikhel tribe and five for rest of Utmanzai tribes in the college. Besides, students from Azad Kashmir and Punjab are also given admission in the college.
Official sources told ‘The News’ that some government functionaries and politicians have started lobbying for shifting the college from Razmak to the southern districts including Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan.
Former NWFP chief minister Akram Khan Durrani was reported to be lobbying for relocating the college to the building of Durrani College in Bannu. His party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman would be happy if the college is shifted to his hometown Dera Ismail Khan. Some influential politicians wanted Lakki Marwat to be the new home of the college.
The Torikhel tribal elders told The News that they would oppose attempts to deprive them of the prestigious educational institution.
A noted Torikhel tribal elder-cum-militant commander of Hafiz Gul Bahadur-led Taliban militants, Abdul Halim Khan, said he would never allow shifting of the college from his area. He had raised a tribal lashkar of 300 armed-men that raided a village in the adjoining South Waziristan and recovered vehicles and baggage of the kidnapped students and then challenged the Mahsud tribe to release the students or face the consequences.
Officials in North Waziristan admitted it was Halim Khan and his tribe’s pressure that helped secure the release of the students and teachers.
The NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani had ordered an inquiry against the college officials, who closed it and then shifted the students to Peshawar without proper security arrangements, however, Additional Chief Secretary Fata, Habibullah Khan denied any proposal about the shifting of the college from Razmak to some other city.
“Let me assure the people of North Waziristan, there is no proposal for relocating the college. Rather, the government under the directive of the prime minister would open cadet colleges in all the seven tribal regions,” he added.
Habibullah said the government would improve security of the students and their teachers at Razmak so that such incidents don’t happen again. He said two cadet colleges would be commissioned in Mohmand and South Waziristan tribal regions with support from donors.
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