Police on Thursday ruled out terrorism in the recent girls’ school blaze that set Diamer on edge, a senior police official said.
Senior Superintendent of Police Sher Khan told media that based on the preliminary investigation, the fire in the school was not an act of terrorism.
He further said that a security guard of the Girls’ Middle School had been taken into custody and the investigation was being conducted “from various angles”. While the incident was initially being treated as a case of terrorism, there are now indications that it could have been a single individual rather than a terrorist, Khan added.
As the school building is located far from settlements, walls merely “five to six-feet high”, and classrooms unlocked, he raised the possibility that a few youngsters could have gathered there.
According to SSP Khan, this indicated the possibility of the fire spreading due to the unidentified youngsters’ “careless behaviour when lighting a fire or smoking”. He further said that the doors and windows in Diamer are made of Diyar wood which “catches fire faster than petrol”.
