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Madressah Teachers Beat Student to Death in Swat
12-year-old Farhan beaten to death by madressah teachers in Swat for missing classes. FIR filed under murder & child protection laws. One suspect arrested; two still at large.
ND
by News Desk
2025-07-22
Madressah Teachers Beat Student to Death in Swat

A young student was beaten to death by three teachers at a local madressah in Swat’s Chaliyar village, police confirmed on Monday evening.

According to Swat District Police Spokesperson Moin Fayaz, the deceased, identified as Farhan, had recently returned to the religious seminary after missing a few days of class. Upon his return, he was reportedly subjected to severe physical punishment in front of his classmates.

Eyewitnesses and students recounted the disturbing incident, with one classmate recalling:

“They started hitting him in front of us. Later, they dragged him into a side room and continued beating him. I was called to bring water. He drank a little, laid his head in my lap — and just went quiet.”

Farhan was rushed to the nearest hospital but was declared dead on arrival, the spokesperson confirmed.

A First Information Report (FIR), available with Dawn.com, has been lodged against all three teachers under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, and Section 37 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection Act. One suspect is in custody, while efforts are underway to arrest the remaining two.

Farhan’s uncle, Saddar Ayaz, expressed heartbreak over the tragedy.

“He didn’t want to go back. I took him there myself. Hours later, a teacher called to say he had died in the toilet. But that was a lie.”

The case has sparked outrage among human rights activists, local residents, and child protection advocates. Haider Ali, a community elder, said:

“Farhan could have been any of our children. He went to learn. He came back dead.”

Under KP’s Child Protection and Welfare Act 2010 — and its subsequent 2018 regulations — corporal punishment is a punishable offence, carrying up to six months of imprisonment, a Rs50,000 fine, or both. Despite legal prohibitions and a 2024 directive from the KP Private Schools Regulatory Authority banning all corporal punishment, violations remain widespread.

The KP Child Protection and Welfare Commission recently reported 14 cases of corporal punishment among 33 types of child abuse documented across the province.

This incident comes months after another case in April, where a teacher in Kasur was arrested for allegedly burning a student with a hot iron for not memorizing a lesson.

As the investigation continues, rights groups are demanding not only swift justice for Farhan but also systemic reforms to ensure the safety of children in both religious and academic institutions.

 

 

 
Tagged:

JusticeForFarhan

StopChildAbuse

CorporalPunishment

MadressahReform
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