PESHAWAR
The issue of inactive girls’ schools sparked intense debate in the KP Assembly when lawmakers expressed strong anger over two girls’ high schools in Munda, Lower Dir, that have remained non-functional for the past 14 years.
At the start of the session on Monday, MPA Ubaid ur Rehman said despite millions of rupees being spent on construction, academic activities have never begun in these schools.
Speaker Babar Saleem strongly criticized the law minister for his unsatisfactory response, calling the situation a blatant waste of public funds.
He questioned the role of the Education Department, asking why the schools had still not been made operational after so many years.
PTI member Nazir Abbasi also highlighted that several schools in his constituency were fully built but still inactive. He urged the Education Department to take strict action and avoid negligence in such matters.
Provincial Minister Faisal Karim Kundi termed the situation a “tragedy,” saying that while buildings were ready, the failure to start teaching was unacceptable. Parliamentary Leader Ahmed Karim pointed out that despite the government’s declared “education emergency,” more than 5.5 million children in the province were still out of school. He demanded a ruling and an immediate inquiry report to identify those responsible for the delays.
Another MPA, Humayun Khan, stated that due to the closure of the schools, female students were forced to travel 25 kilometers to attend another institution, a major hardship for both students and parents.
Provincial Minister Riaz Khan admitted that the failure to activate the schools over 14 years reflected a clear failure of the Education Department. Government member Rajab Abbasi added that 12 schools in Hazara were also lying inactive.
At the end of the session, the Speaker directed that a comprehensive report be submitted to the Assembly within 15 days to ensure practical steps are taken to resolve the issue of inactive girls’ schools.
