Quetta, Oct 28 — At least three female students were injured after masked gunmen opened fire inside the Girls Degree College in Balochistan's Nushki district, local media reported, citing the college administration.
According to the administration, three armed men stormed the college premises on Tuesday, damaged surveillance cameras and vandalised the principal's office before firing at the students.
The injured were shifted to Mir Gul Khan Naseer Teaching Hospital in Nushki for treatment, with one of them reported to be in critical condition, The Balochistan Post reported.
The victims were identified as Mehmoona and Maryam, both from Qaziabad, and Rukhsana from Killi Mengal region in Balochistan.
The attack drew widespread condemnation from rights groups and student organisations, which raised concerns over the safety of students and the deteriorating security situation in educational institutions across Balochistan.
Condemning the attack, the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC) said that educational institutions were once again being targeted with full force, raising questions about the security of students.
"Students, whether female or male, are in a state of uncertainty about their safety and security. Previously, teachers and professors were targeted, and now students are being targeted, which is seriously intimidating the educational environment. As we believe, quality-based education is only possible in a safe and friendly environment where students can enjoy knowledge and education without fear and uncertainty," the BSAC stated.
"The recent rise in incidents at schools and other educational institutions is not only condemnable but represents the worst form of violent crime with impunity. The security measures in educational institutions, including the safety of teachers, professors, and students, are highly unchecked, causing a significant blow to literacy in Balochistan," it added.
Meanwhile, the human rights body Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) strongly condemned the shooting at the girls' college and the forced closure of Vision Public School in Qadir Abad area by armed men, holding the Pakistani authorities fully responsible for both the incidents.
"The state fears an educated Baloch woman more than anything else. She reads, she asks questions, she speaks at gatherings, and she leads marches. That is why the bullets were aimed at a girls' college. They want our daughters back inside four walls, silent and afraid, and they want parents to decide that sending a girl to school is not worth the risk," the BYC stated.
The rights body further said that shortly before this attack, armed men had entered Vision Public School in Qadir Abad, harassed the children, shut the school down, and warned the administration that it would pay if the school opened again.
Expressing grave concern over the attack on girl students, the Baloch Voice for Justice ( BVJ) said that Nushki has been under Pakistani military siege, along with a curfew-like situation, for the past several months.
It said that in such a "stringent security environment", the entry of armed individuals into the girls' college, damaging CCTV cameras and the principal's office, and opening fire on students, exposes a grave failure of state security arrangements.
Criticising the brutal attack in broad daylight at the girls' college, the Baloch Women Forum (BWF) said, "The educational deprivation in Balochistan is no secret to anyone. In such a scenario, if attacks on female students continue and the culprits are not punished for their actions, the situation could become even more dire, because in such a case, where female students do not feel safe, the effects will be felt by every family whose daughters are pursuing education or employment."