Mehbooba says ban on schools run by Jamaat affiliate 'another form of atrocity' against J-K residents

Srinagar: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that the ban on schools run by Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT), an affiliate of banned Jamaat-e-Islami, is ”another form of atrocity” inflicted on the people of Jammu and Kashmir to ”sabotage” their future.

After land ownership, resources, and jobs, the last ”target” is education, she said.

More than 300 educational institutions run by FAT have been stopped from operating by the Jammu and Kashmir school education department.

An order to this effect was issued by School Education Secretary B K Singh on June 13.

”Move to ban FAT-affiliated schools is another form of atrocity inflicted on people of J&K to sabotage their future. After land ownership, resources & jobs the last target is education. I am sure Kashmiris will overcome this & not let their children suffer,” Mehbooba wrote on Twitter.

The order issued by School Education Secretary Singh also asked chief education officers of various districts to seal the schools run by FAT within 15 days in consultation with the district administration.

It said that all the students studying in these banned institutions shall admit themselves to nearby government schools for the current session.

The order came in the backdrop of investigations done by the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s State Investigation Agency, which alleged gross illegalities, outright fraud, and mass-scale encroachment of government lands by FAT.