Protests staged across KP against murder of district education officer – Pakistan

Dozens of students, teachers and members of civil society protested on Monday about the murder of the Nawab Ali district education officer in the Kolai-Palas Kohistan district.

At the request of the Shangla teachers association, protests and demonstrations were held throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Shangla, Nawab's home district.

On Saturday, Nawab was allegedly killed in his office. Pallas Station House (SHO) Officer Muhammad Hafeez said Dawn that a first information report (FIR) was registered against unknown suspects under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Criminal Code.

In addition, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was also formed, led by the Mansehra Subdivision Police Officer (SDPO) Ashiq Hussain, to investigate the case at the request of the family of the murdered education officer.

Protesters in Bisham today blocked the main artery of the Karakoram Highway for two hours while singing slogans against MPA Mufti Ubaidur Rehman, police commissioner and Kolai-Palas Kohistan district, accusing them of being involved in the murder case.

Addressing the protesting students and teachers, the speakers demanded that the government arrest the guilty parties, as well as the police chiefs, Rehman and DC for their alleged involvement in the death of Nawab.

Suliman Khan, a close friend and relative of the murdered education official, said that Nawab had recruited 14 Class IV officials on the recommendation of a local MPA and that an opposing group was against the appointment orders he had issued.

Protesters also demanded that a resolution be passed to end the state of the Kolai-Palas Kohistan district, saying that an area where officers are killed did not deserve the status of a district.

Protests were also held in Pattan in Lower Kohistan, Shangla, Puran, Chakesar, Shahapur, Martung, Karora, Dehrai, Alpuri, Dandai and other areas.

Demonstrations were organized in schools and colleges throughout the province. In public and private schools, students and teachers offered prayers for the DEO and the national flag flew at half-mast in all government schools.

The Shangla teachers association said that a black day will be observed tomorrow and the schools will remain closed.

Read: Shangla residents block KKH against murder of education official

Protests were also held on Sunday against the murder of Nawab.

Meanwhile, the Advisor to the Chief Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Ziaullah Bangash, visited Chakesar today and expressed condolences with the Nawab family.

He assured the family that he was in contact with the JIT and that the prime minister had issued strict orders to arrest the suspects within 48 hours.

In addition, the Deputy Inspector General of Police was ordered to take a personal interest in the case and arrest the suspects as soon as possible.

DEO death

SHO Hafeez said that after receiving information about Nawab's death, police had arrived at the DEO office on Saturday where they found his body and a bullet. Another bullet was found outside his office.

A former coordinator of the tehsil council and cousin of the DEO, Shaukat Ali, said Nawab had been receiving threats to his life. However, he could not reveal who was threatening his murdered relative.

Shaukat said they hoped that JIT would investigate the case in a better way and arrest the culprits.

In addition, the district education office in Shangla said that the transfer of Nawab to the Government Centennial Model School, Alpuri Shangla, was ordered one day before his death.

SHO Hafeez said that no one had yet been arrested in connection with Nawab's death, but an investigation was under way.