HE obscurantists` war on education continues, as a girls` school in Gilgit-Baltistan`s Diamer district was torched early on Tuesday. Local officials have held `terrorists` responsible for this reprehensible act and have vowed to rebuild the school along with providing security to educational institutions. This is not the first time violent elements have torched schools in this highly conservative part of GB; there have been several similar attacks over the past few years. However, what is welcome, apart from the government`s resolve to resist the extremists` desire to wipe out education, particularly for girls, is the fact that local elders have condemned the act of arson and have called upon the authorities to nab the culprits. Moreover, it is also heartening that schoolgirls in neighbouring Astore district staged a brave march to condemn the torching of the school.

The Diamer area is no stranger to extremist activity. Only last month, armed militants ambushed a GB minister, demanding that their fellow fighters involved in acts of terrorism be freed. There was also some noise by right-wing forces against a women-only sports gala that was organised in the region recently. The fact is that Diamer, along with its neighbouring district of Upper Kohistan in KP, features some of the country`s lowest literacy rates. The numbers for women`s literacy are particularly abysmal in both areas. Therefore, the challenge confronting the state is twofold: stop the penetration of armed terrorists in this remote region, and prevent extremists from waging their blighted struggle against literacy, particularly girls` education. One part of this strategy will encompass the security angle, to ensure that armed groups don`t have free rein in the area. The other concerns community engagement, to guarantee that locals continue to educate their children, particularly their girls. The ground reality that this is a conservative region must be kept in mind, and community engagement is essential to ensure there are no violent disruptions to educational activities in this remote and underdeveloped area.