Pakistan: Private schools stay closed in Turbat, Panjgur after threats by extremists

A grand jirga will be held in Panjgur on Thursday to deliberate on the closure of private schools and English language centres after threats hurled by a religious group.

The jirga will be attended by people of all walks of life, including political and religious leaders, members of civil society, teachers, elders and women.

“The jirga will discuss the issue in detail and announce future line of action in view of threats being hurled by (a hitherto) unknown religious organisation to owners and managements of private schools,” Zahir Hussain Baloch, an educationist running a private school in Panjgur, told Dawn.

All private schools and English language centres have been closed in Turbat in Panjgur because owners are receiving threats from an extremist organisation called “Tenzeem Islami-al-Furqan”.

“The organisation is asking owners to stop educating girls at their institutions. We had no other option but to close our schools and language centres,” he said.