The United Traders Alliance and school staff have set up a protest camp at the demolished site of Government High School No. 2 in Bannu, insisting that school reconstruction must begin immediately. The protesters say they will remain at the site until construction work resumes and the future of local children is protected.
Community leaders and teachers recalled that the school was demolished three years ago, with funds approved and an official design sanctioned at the time. Despite those approvals, they say the allocated funds have not been released and no construction has started, leaving temporary arrangements for students in place while the demolished site remains abandoned.
Dr. Abdul Rauf Qureshi, Malik Qasim Khan and other speakers at the camp accused the authorities of delaying the school reconstruction process and questioned the sincerity of the declared education emergency. They noted that a contractor had received a work order but the project remains stalled and the debris from the old building has reportedly been sold.
Among the allegations, Malik Qasim Khan claimed that funds approved for Government High School No. 2 were transferred to another tehsil by a high-ranking provincial official, a move he described as depriving Bannu children of their rights. Protest leaders also implicated the Communication and Works Department in the delays and alleged transfer of money.
Speakers including Farmanullah Mirakhel, Maulana Qudratullah, Haji Arsala Khan, Asghar Khan Advocate, Maulana Anwar Shah, Mudassar Khan, Mizaullah Khan and others expressed deep concern about the stalled project and urged authorities to prioritize school reconstruction to avoid further disruption to students’ education.
The traders’ alliance and teachers emphasized that the protest camp will continue until concrete steps are taken to release funds and restart construction work, calling on provincial officials and the responsible departments to address the delays and ensure completion of the school reconstruction without further postponement.
