PESHAWAR: District Police Officer (DPO) Swat Muhammad Omar Khan has said that 10 people, including the patron of the seminary, have been arrested for the brutal murder of a young student and torture of children at an unregistered religious seminary.
Talking to media at DPO Office Saidu Sharif on Wednesday, he said raids are being conducted to arrest 2 more accused named in the case.
The police have also recovered sticks and chains from the madrasa in the Chaliyar locality of Khwaza Khela wherein the Assistant Commissioner Khwaza Khela has officially sealed the madrasa.
DPO Swat Muhammad Omar Khan, along with SP Investigation Swat Badshah Hazrat Khan, he said that on July 21, the tortured body of 12-year-old Farhan son of Muhammad Ayaz, a resident of Piya Fatehpur, was brought to Khwaza Khela Hospital.
The police took immediate action and registered a case against the madrasa's patron Qari Muhammad Omar, his son Ehsanullah, madrasa Nazim Abdullah, and later Bakht Amin under the murder and Child Protection Act on the complaint of the deceased's uncle Saddar Ayaz.
Out of the nominated accused, Abdullah and Bakht Amin have been arrested, while the other two will be arrested soon.
The DPO Swat said that separate case has been registered against 9 teachers after evidence of physical violence was found on other children in the madrasa and they have been arrested. The arrested accused include Omar Azda (Roria Charbagh), Bakht Amin (Madiyan], Mohsin (Bedara Matta), Gohar Ali (Shangla), Abdul Rehman (Langer Khwaza Khela), Syed Rehman (Dub Khwaza Khela), Noor Muhammad (Alam Ganj), Abdul Rehman (Chaliyar), and Sami-ur-Rehman (Chenkolai).
He said that around 160 children studying in the seminary have been handed over to their parents while the facility has been closed on the grounds of being illegal and unregistered. He announced that list of unregistered madaris are being compiled across the district and strict action will be taken against them as well.
The DPO Swat said that two accused, Muhammad Rehman and Abdul Salam, have been arrested under the Child Protection Act in connection with the incident of violence against another child in a madrasa in Gulkada.
The DPO made it clear that no one is above the law, cruelty and violence against children will not be tolerated under any circumstances, and the involved elements will be brought to justice according to the law.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025