A video circulating widely on social media shows an armed individual threatening to shut down a school in North Waziristan, igniting fierce public backlash. Residents have expressed deep anger at the prospect of yet another blow to their children’s education—an institution already struggling under the weight of ongoing insecurity. The closure of schools in the region has long been a flashpoint, eroding the community’s trust and sympathy toward militant groups.
In a bid to quell mounting resentment, the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) released a statement on May 18, 2025, insisting that educational institutions are not among their targets. “We firmly believe that a nation’s progress, prosperity, and bright future rest on education,”. “We instruct all our fighters to refrain from interfering with schools so that no child of our homeland is deprived of learning.”
However, analysts say this announcement is a transparent attempt by the TTP to mend a severely damaged reputation. “After years of targeting schools and terrorizing students, the TTP has already lost whatever goodwill it once claimed,” commented an independent security expert. “This U-turn comes only because local communities are vocally resisting any further interference with their children’s education.”
