In a tragic incident in Swat’s Chaliyar village, a young student named Farhan was allegedly beaten to death by his madrassah teachers on Monday evening, according to police reports.
The brutal act, which occurred in front of other students, has sparked widespread outrage and raised serious concerns about corporal punishment in religious schools.
Police spokesperson Moin Fayaz stated that Farhan, who had been absent from the madrassah for several days, was attacked by three teachers upon his return. A classmate, speaking anonymously, recounted the horrifying ordeal: “The teachers beat him severely. They took him to a side room and continued the assault. I was asked to bring water, and he drank a little before collapsing in my lap, lifeless.”
Farhan was rushed to a hospital, but doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. The police have filed an FIR under Section 302 (premeditated murder) and Section 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, as well as Section 37 (punishment for violence) of the Child Protection Act. One teacher has been arrested, while the search continues for the other two suspects.
Farhan’s uncle, Saddar Ayaz, who had dropped him off at the madrassah that day, expressed his grief: “He was scared to go back. I personally handed him over to the teachers. Later, they called and claimed he had fallen in the toilet and died.”
The incident has ignited public anger, with human rights organizations and locals demanding justice. “Farhan could have been anyone’s child,” said Haider Ali, a community elder. “He went to learn and never returned home.”
This tragedy underscores the persistent issue of corporal punishment in Pakistani educational institutions, despite the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act of 2010, which bans such practices and imposes penalties of up to six months in jail or a Rs50,000 fine.
A recent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission (KPCPWC) report documented 33 abuse cases, including 14 involving corporal punishment, in the province.
Earlier this year, a teacher in Kasur was arrested for burning a student with a hot iron for failing to memorize a lesson, highlighting the ongoing problem of violence in schools and madrassahs.
Authorities face growing calls to strengthen enforcement of child protection laws to prevent further tragedies in educational settings.
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