Thousands of women, children and activists marched in Pakistan’s volatile province of Baluchistan yesterday in a protest against a campaign by an extremist group to force schools to shut down across the region.
Tanzeemul Islam-ul-Furqan (Organization of Islam for the (Holy) Quran), a little-known group that has been setting schools on fire and distributing threatening leaflets against girls’ and Western-style education in Balochistan, a vast province bordering Iran and Afghanistan.
“At least 35 private schools and 30 language centers have been shut down in the districts of Panjgur and Turbat for well over a week, but government schools are open,” Mohammad Ayub, a local education official, told the media.
It is rare for women to take part in public rallies in the traditional tribal society of Baluchistan, but on Wednesday, thousands of them marched alongside schoolchildren and political activists to appeal for better security at schools.
