It is really unfortunate to note that the evil movement to discourage the female education in the country has continued. In the most recent incident, about 100 school girls were poisoned in northern province of Sar-e-Pul. The incident took place in EmamYahya School on Saturday, June 23. The poisoned students were admitted to hospital and they were reported to be suffering from fever.

This incident adds to the series of such pitiful attacks by theextremist Taliban who are against the spread of education, especially of the females. Earlier similar attacks were carried out in Takhar, Khost and Nangarhar province that resulted in the deterioration of health of hundreds of schoolgirls.

Such attacks are really very much pathetic because they directly target the innocent students. Apart from these attacks there have been many occasions when the culprits have thrown acid on the school-going-girls. It is really important that the relevant authorities must strive to take serious action against such incidents as they are getting out of control.

After experiencing so many incidents, it is really very much sorry to mention that law-enforcement agencies of the country are not yet able to find out the culprits and bring them to justice.This is, as the Afghan Parliamentarians have suggested, clear failure of the relevant agencies and authorities. It also shows how serious the Afghan government considers such attacks.

Though there have not been major fatalities from these attacks they remain serious in different ways. There are some reports that suggest that in some of the cases the results of the poisoning have been long-lasting. In some of the cases the victims have shown some psychological disorders weeks after the incident. Moreover, they will have a negative impact on the education of girls.

The parents will fear sending their girls to school and ultimately the number of school-going-girls will decrease. Afghanistan is a country that has acquired some improvements in the female education only after a decade of efforts. It cannot afford to lose it, as it will once again push the Afghan society towards parochial approach and treatment of the women, as was witnessed during the Taliban era.

It is really unfortunate to note that this is the reward for the students who intend to get education in our country. The cowards who carryon such attacks do not realize that it is the same education that is going to help the country in rebuilding itself and enabling it to stand on its own with pride and dignity among the other nations of the world; or they do realize it and execute such actions so as to humiliate the nation.

The culprits of these incidents have to be brought to justice not just because these incidents are in-humane and against the law, but also because they have the filthy intention of keeping the children away from education, which will cost the country much in the times to come. The socio-economic scenario in Afghan is already in such a position where it does not have a very welcoming attitude towards education, especially those of girls; and such incidents will add fuel to the fire.