KARACHI - The incessant Lyari Gang War has caused 60 to 70 per cent decline in school attendance in the Lyari Town, The Nation has learned.
Lyarites have already rejected peace talks with leaders of notorious gangs, the Uzair Baloch group and the Baba Ladla group. They demanded the government to clear Lyari of the influence of PPP and MQM.
The gang war has forced parents to keep their kids from going to schools, as many have become victims of the ongoing gang battle.
Around 600 to 700 public and private educational campuses of Lyari town have witnessed 60 to 70 per cent decline in school attendance owing to worsening law and order situation of the area. Students and parents seem worried about the upcoming SSC (IX and X Classes) Annual Examinations and Intermediate Annual Examinations scheduled from April 02, 2014. However, political forces remain unconcerned about one of the oldest part of the city.
The recent incident of Jhutput Market of Lyari has raised various questions over the future of school going children of Lyari.
Elahi Bux Baloch, an associate of newly surfaced ‘Save Lyari Movement’, said ‘forces’ are trying to destabilise the oldest part of the city; poor law and order situation is linked with Balochistan unrest. He said that it was disgusting that some students wearing school uniforms have lost their lives during cross fires. He said that there are around 700 schools which are nonfunctioning at the moment. He said that various families have shifted from the town to safe areas.
He said that Lyarites demanded minus four formula (No to Uzair Baloch group, Baba Ladla group, PPP and MQM). Residents of Lyari are vibrant and peace loving. He said that criminals and the apathetic behaviour of government have forced us to form a Save Lyari Movement. He said that the movement will continue until Lyari was cleansed.
Criticizing poor situation of education in Lyari, President Peak Private Schools Association, Sindh Haider Ali said that the continuous unrest has created reasons for parents to keep their children at home. He said that the attendance record of private and public schools revealed that there is no future of school education in the area. He said that private schools’ owners received not only life threats but also extortion slips. “I do not know who will help out the Lyarites in this critical situation,” he said.