Schoolgirls in northern Pakistan revert to burqas

In some parts of Mansehra District in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), of Pakistant, the familiar early morning scenes of children going to school have changed. Rather than regular school uniforms, often topped with a white dopatta (head scarf) or shawl traditionally worn by schoolgirls, more and more of all but the youngest girls are donning the head-to-toe burqa, or full-length veil. “This is part of the ‘Talibanisation’ taking place across the NWFP,” said Uzma Hammad, 30, a teacher and social activist in Mansehra District. “We are all terrorized by it,” she said. Mansehra District, about 125 kilometers northeast of Peshawar, has a literacy rate of over 36%, among the highest in NWFP. According to official figures, in the district capital, Mansehra town, 60% of boys and 39% of girls are enrolled in schools. Read about the effects of intimidation in the province at IRIN News.