Books burned at Pakistan school as armed gang target ‘Western’ education

Armed men set 150 textbooks on fire when they attacked a private school in Pakistan and warned against providing “Western-style education”.

The gang also burned the principal’s office, computers and chairs at the Gurbam private school at Turbat in Balochistan state. The attack on September 1 is the first on a private school in the city.

An official at the Turbat Levies law enforcement agency said a group calling itself Al Jihad had claimed responsbility and said the attack was part of a “holy war” on Western-style education.

He told the Express Tribune: “The armed men barged into Gurbam private school after 10pm on Monday. They set fire to the principal’s office and burnt textbooks, five computers, three chairs and school records.

“There have been no such attacks in hundreds of years here.”

The group distributed pamphlets which stated: “There should only be religious education in this school and no one should dare to impart education in English.”

Many students have already moved from Turbat and Panjgur to Quetta and Karachi after a series of attacks on schools and colleges in Balochistan. Schools in Panjgur were closed for three months after attacks but reopened last month.