Bajaur students protest shifting of exam centre and examiner’s alleged behaviour

BAJAUR: Students from two private schools in Khar tehsil staged separate protests on Thursday against the education department over the relocation of their matric examination centre and against an examiner over alleged mistreatment.

According to the reported details, students of Alfalah Public School and Wisdom Public School in Sadiqabad town held a demonstration after they learned that their ongoing matric examination centre at Government High School Tang Khata had been moved to another school located in a distant area.

The protesting students blocked the Khar-Nawagai Road in Sadiqabad Bazaar, disrupting vehicular movement. They said they had been appearing in their examinations at the Tang Khata school for the past week after the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Chakdara, in consultation with local education department officials, had established the centre there when the papers began.

The students alleged that some education department officials had suddenly changed the examination centre because of their alleged differences with the school management. They demanded that the relevant authorities take strict action against the officials who made the decision.

The protest ended peacefully after local elders and police officials assured the students that the matter would be brought to the attention of the authorities concerned and addressed immediately.

Separate protest in Charmang

In another incident, students of Government High School Kootki Charmang also staged a protest against a staff member at the examination centre, alleging that some students had been mistreated.

They blocked the Tangi-Charmang Road and said an examiner had been behaving rudely with them. The demonstration concluded after officials from the local police station assured the students that they would not face such unwanted behaviour from the examiner again.

Shops demolished in Lowi Sam Bazaar

Separately, authorities on Wednesday demolished several shops in Lowi Sam Bazaar that were said to have been constructed on state land.

According to a statement, the administration had earlier asked the owners to remove the structures voluntarily, but they did not comply. Officials then carried out the demolition in an effort to recover the state property.

The affected shopkeepers criticised the administration’s action. They said they owned the land and that it was not state property. They also alleged that officials had not informed them before demolishing the shops.