No co-ed schools in Pak tribal areas: Taliban

Peshawar, Jan 5: The Taliban has imposed restrictions on co-education in Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan after banning girls' education Swat.

Pamphlets attributed to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were distributed in the tribal areas, asking school owners and teachers to close down all institutes offering co-education even at the pre-school level.

The pamphlets in Urdu asked the government to stop issuing identity cards to women 'with or without pictures', The Nation reported.

According to laws, every adult above 18 years of age has to have an identity card with his/her photo pasted on it.

The pamphlet said all co-education schools and issuance of identity cards should be stopped by Monday (today). "No school should open Monday with co-education," the pamphlet warned.

However, there was no mention if the girls can go to schools reserved for them in the tribal areas.

On Dec 26, Taliban leaders in Swat declared that any girl found going to school after January 15 would be dealt with according to the 'Islamic laws'.

"All the private and government schools have been given a 15-day deadline to close down the female education facilities. They have also banned women from visiting markets," said Mohamed Osman, a schoolteacher and social worker.

"We have no choice but to follow the orders. The government cannot give us protection. Taliban run a parallel government in 90 per cent of the area of the district and they execute everyone who opposes them," Osman said.

The TTP had then said the Swat leadership of the Taliban would be asked to review the ban, the paper said.

ANI