CJP takes notice of attack on girls' schools in Gilgit-Baltistan

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan took notice on Saturday of the attack on at least 12 girls' schools in Chilas on Thursday night.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar has ordered the government, secretary Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and secretary interior to submit reports on the incident within the next 48 hours.

Some 12 girls' schools were attacked in Chilas, about 130 kilometres from Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday, police sources said, adding that the suspects were unidentified men who targetted educational institutes across Diamer district and damaged school property.

The attackers also torched some items in the schools and set off explosions in two of the buildings, according to media reports.

Sixteen suspects arrested in raids 

At least 16 suspects have been arrested in connection with the attacks, the Gilgit-Baltistan government said on Saturday. 

According to a local government spokesperson, Faizullah Faraq, 16 suspects have been rounded up following raids in the Tangir and Dariyal areas.

Inspector General G-B Sanaullah Abbasi told Geo News that the locals are fully cooperating in the targeted operation.

Schools to re-open in last week of August

Chief minister G-B has ordered the chief secretary to ensure the schools destroyed in the incident are restored to a working condition in the next 15 days.

According to local government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, the restoration work will begin soon and the schools will re-open in the last week of August.

PM condemns attack, orders report 

Caretaker prime minister Justice (retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk earlier ordered relevant authorities to submit a report on the attack on girls' schools in Chilas.

Strongly condemning the attack, PM Mulk said that those involved in the incident will be held accountable.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan also took to social media to condemn the attack. 

“Shocking and condemnable torching of schools in Gilgit-Baltistan, more than half of them girls' schools. This is unacceptable and we will ensure security for schools as we are committed to focusing on education, especially girls' education which is integral to Naya Pakistan," he tweeted. 

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai also condemned the attack, stressing that "every girl and boy has the right to learn".

"The extremists have shown what frightens them most - a girl with a book," wrote Yousafzai, who, herself, was shot alongside two of her classmates by the Taliban back in October 2012 while on their way back from school in Swat.

The terrorists had, since sometime before the assassination attempt on her, notoriously made efforts to ban girls from getting education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Soon after, however, she rose to global prominence and became a renowned women's education and human rights activist.

"We must rebuild these schools immediately, get the students back into their classrooms and show the world that every girl and boy has the right to learn," she added.

The Gilgit-Baltistan region is home to world´s second highest mountain, K2, and numerous other peaks attracting mountaineers and tourists from around the world.

Like many other under-developed areas of Pakistan, basic education needs in Gilgit-Baltistan are being met by private or community organisations, and a large number of primary schools have been set up by non-government organisations.

Education is a pressing issue in the country, where government statistics show that more than 22 million children are out of school - the majority of them girls.