KHAR: A number of private educational institutions in Bajaur tribal district remained opened on Monday, flouting the official winter vacation order, sources told Dawn on Monday.

They said as per the government decision, the winter vacation in educational institutions, both public and private, had started on Dec 22.

However, they said several private schools in Bajaur failed to obey the order and hey remained opened on Monday despite extreme cold weather.

The sources claimed that about 50 per cent schools remained opened on Monday. They said most of the private schools which failed to obey the government instruction about the annual winter vacation were located in Mamond, Salarzai and Khar tehsils.

The sources said two weeks ago the local education department had issued directives to the managements of private schools across the district to keep their institutions closed from Dec 22 to March 1, 2012 for annual winter holidays. However, several private educational institutions flouted the order.

The sources said parents had expressed grave concern over delay in winter vacation in private schools, and demanded action against the schools not observing winter vacation order. The sources revealed that most private schools were usually closed for winter vacation either on the last day of December or in the first week of January just to collect fees from students.

Meanwhile, an official of the local education department admitted that a number of private schools remained opened despite winter vacation order.

The official claimed the department had decided to take strict action against the schools not obeying the instruction.

SHOT DEAD: Unknown persons killed a man in Mamond tehsil on Monday, officials and residents said.

They said a man identified as Gul Mohammad was walking on a road in Umary area when unidentified persons opened fire on him, injuring him critically.

Following the incident, people of nearby areas reached the spot and shifted the victim to the district headquarters hospital, Khar, where he died. Later, his body was taken to native Bandagi village.

The police said personal enmity could be the cause of the killing.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2019