Blockade of Oghi road threatened over girls admission issue.

MANSEHRA -- The residents of Balian and adjoining union councils here have warned that they will block the Oghi-Mansehra Road indefinitely if the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Oghi, doesn't enrol local girls.

'After finishing middle standard education, over 250 girls from Balian and adjoining union councils applied for admission to the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Oghi, but the principal rejected their applications on the pretext of limitedseating capacity,' nazim of Balain village council Anwar Islam told a jirga in the area on Saturday.

The participants demanded the chief minister order an inquiry into the matter.

Residents insist principal declines enrolment to over 250 girls

Mr Islam said Balian and its adjoining union councils didn't have any high school.

PTI leader Irfan Khan Swati said on one hand, the government was pushing people for the enrolment of their children in public sector schools but on other, the school administrations were declining admissions.

'This conduct is regrettable,' he said.

Chairman of the local Zakat committee Mohammad Jamal said the residents would agitate if the principal didn't enrol over 250 local girls in secondary and higher secondary classes.

'We will block the main road indefinitely over the enrolment issue,' he said.

Mr Jamal also demanded the upgradation of localmiddle schools for girls.

SANCTIONED: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has sanctioned Rs1 billion for 17 development, beautification and heritage site preservation projects in Mansehra tehsil.

MPA Babar Saleem Swati told reporters here on Saturday that most...