Islamabad: Hundreds of teenaged girls enrolled at a higher secondary school in the North West Frontier Province have started attending classes in burqa following a threat by the Taliban.

The principal of the only higher secondary girls school in Oghi sub-district received a threatening letter from the Taliban last week, asking him to make it compulsory for students from Class 7 onwards to wear burqa, the Dawn newspaper reported today.

The letter, which did not have the sender's name and was handed over to police by school authorities, said: "So far we did not carry out any activity in Mansehra district, but we want to make it clear that if you do not make the burqa compulsory for students you will face serious consequences. Take it as a warning."

The school's vice-principal, Bibi Aftab, confirmed the letter was received by the principal. She said that the administration made the wearing of burqa compulsory for the safety of over 800 students and called a meeting of the Parent Teachers Association to discuss the matter. "We took the matter seriously because it was a matter of safety of students and administration personnel," she said. Parents too have started sending their girls to school in burqas. "The remaining students should also start wearing the burqa in a couple of days," Aftab said. However, some girls have decided not to wear the veil "at any cost". One student, who was not named, said most girls are wearing burqas because of pressure from the school administration and the fear of the local Taliban.

Source : PTI