Pakistani authorities have launched an emotional advertising campaign to persuade the local Taliban to end their campaign of bombing and burning girls’ schools in the troubled northwestern Swat Valley.The advertisement, published in several Urdu-language newspapers, features the picture of a weeping girl who laments over being deprived of her basic right to education. The girl prays for the reformation of militants bent on opposing the education of females in Swat.“Oh God, attaining education is my basic right, but some extremists in violation of thy orders and religious teachings have become enemies of girls’ education. To them, girls have no need to get education. They are bent upon snatching our basic right from us,” reads the advertisement issued by the North West Frontier Province government.“The enemies of our education have destroyed 56 girls’ schools while another 62 are closed to shut the doors of education for us in the NWFP. Now where should I go for attaining education?” the advertisement states.However, on Tuesday, days after the publication of the advertisement, local Taliban in Swat blew up another girls’ school in the restive Matta sub-district, where the Pakistan Army has launched a fresh crackdown on the militants.The Taliban in the NWFP have particularly targeted girls’ schools, shops that sell music and movies, and barber salons. The secular Awami National Party, which rules the NWFP, has made the education of girls one of its top priorities after coming to power in the March polls.Unable to stop the militants from destroying girls’ schools in Swat, the provincial government launched the advertising campaign. The campaign is also aimed at creating awareness and garnering the support of the people against militant attacks on girls’ schools. The advertisement was well received by the people, but there was a mixed reaction from them about its possible impact on the militants, The News Daily reported today. “It is a good initiative and is being done for a good cause as it is the voice of people’s hearts.it will have a positive impact on the people, but it would be too early to assume that the militants will abandon the torching of girls’ schools,” said educationist Ziauddin Yousafzai. He believed that the militants would quote religious scriptures to support their claim that a woman’s place is within the four walls of a home.The destruction and closure of girls’ schools in different towns of the Swat valley has forced about 17,700 students to abandon their education. At least seven girls’ schools in the nearby Lower and Upper Dir districts have also been reduced to rubble, affecting the education of hundreds of girls there.
