A government middle school for girls was torched in Diamer’s Samigal Pain area of Darel Tehsil by unidentified persons late on Tuesday night, reminding the people of the 2018 mysterious incident when around 15 schools were burnt down in the district.

The first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Aaj News, was registered on Tuesday at the Gumari Darel police station under sections 6 (terrorist act) and 7 (punishment for Terrorist Act) of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), and 431 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc.) of the Pakistan Penal Code have been added to the report.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of headmaster Rehmat Ghani against unidentified miscreants. Around 60 girls started at the Girls Middle School and a teacher was performing her duties. The school, which had seven rooms, was constructed this year and offered education to students from nursery to the eighth standard.

“The school has completely burned down and the furniture etc at the school has been burned,” it said and urged the police to start an inquiry.

An education emergency was declared in Darel after the August 2018 incident when seven schools were torched in the area. The army was also called in which also set up schools in the area.

Sources in the education department said that at least six government schools – including two middle and four primary – were present in the Tehsil. Separately, 39 home schools were being run—basically a pre-nursery school.

They added that two per cent was the literacy rate in the area.

Aaj News tried to contact Diamer Deputy Commissioner Fayyaz Ahmed Khan and MPA Rehmat Khaliq but could not be reached.

“Today Girls middle school in Darel District Diamer was burned into ashes by a few criminals. Very sad incident but [we] will not surrender to these miscreants,” said a Facebook post from the Diamer deputy commissioner account which has more than 8,000 followers.

“Right to learning of our girls is an inalienable right given by our religion and protected in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. There can’t be appeasement for the violators of law and perpetrators of such acts of terrorism. There is no option but to take on this challenge,” it said.

The post added that the school would be rebuilt and made functional within a week. “I am mobilising all resources for this purpose and declaring an educational emergency to fast-track the process.”

The DC said that officers and engineers would go to the site and build a “bigger and better well equipped” school. “We will not surrender inshallah. Either we stand with our daughters of Darel or we all government officials should go home.”