Taliban allow kids back to school

Islamabad: Students in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of Mohamand Agency returned to school Wednesday after four months and 20 days as Taliban allowed the local administration to reopen educational institutions in the area, Xinhua reported citing local media.

Dunya TV quoted unidentified sources from Mohamand Agency's political administration as saying that they had been convincing Taliban militants to let young boys and girls go to school since they stopped them from seeking education in April.

The Taliban had warned people of Mohamand Agency in April of serious consequences if they kept on sending their kids, especially girls, to school.

Officials ordered reopening of all schools in the area after the Taliban said they would not attack schools, teaching staff and kids. Schools have been a major target for militants in the area where 61 schools were destroyed in the last two years.

Mohamand Agency is one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal regions in the country's northwest restive tribal belt on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

IANS.