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Educational institutions told to arrange security or shut down

* Rawalpindi commissioner says private schools and public departments should get licences for arms
* Says scarcity of funds keeps govt from arranging security on its own
* Issues direction banning parking along FJWU boundary wall

By Aamir Yasin

RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed on Tuesday told educational institutions to make strict security arrangements in and around their premises failing which they would be closed down.

He urged heads of educational institutions and public departments to immediately submit applications for arms licences to District Coordination Office from where licences would be issued within two days.

He was addressing a crime review meeting at his office. He directed educational institutions to issue student and staff cards which should be mandatory for entry into their premises.

He said due to deteriorating law and order situation, heads of educational institutions and other public and private departments should come forward and make fool-proof arrangements for their own security. He said lack of security arrangements would make these institutions an easy target of terrorists.

He urged the educational institutions to allocate maximum of their earrings for security arrangements so that educational activities could take place in a smooth manner. He said all institutions and departments should erect barriers on their exists and entry points to make difficulties for the terrorists trying to hit them.

He said the Special Branch of Police had started survey of security arrangements of the educational institutions in Rawalpindi and those educational institutions would be closed that would not comply with the government instructions.

RPO Aslam Tareen said the police would improve patrolling around educational institutions, especially at opening and closing times. He urged parents and teachers to convince students not to buy things from the stalls set up around schools. He said visitors should be discouraged in institutions and security of entry gates should be increased.

The meeting was attended by Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi Aslam Tareen, City Police Officer (CPO) Rao Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Assistant Commissioner (General) Nauman Afzal Afridi, Director Colleges Chaudhary Muhammad Ashraf, Executive District Officer (EDO) Education, President All Pakistan Private School Association Sabir Minhas, DO Colleges Ulfat Janjua and others.

FJWU visit: Later, the commissioner and the RPO visited Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi (FJWU). On their arrival, FJWU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Saeeda Asadullah and Registrar Marrayam Rab briefed them about the security arrangements put in place by the university administration.

They said all gates had been closed except only one that had been manned by four to six security guards. They requested the commissioner to ban parking along boundary walls of the university.

Upon this, the commissioner directed the authorities concerned to ban parking along the boundary wall of the university and place cemented blocks there so that no car could be parked there.

The commissioner said the provincial and local governments were committed to providing maximum protection to students, especially female. He said due to financial constrains, the government would not do it alone so it had requested the educational institution to come forward and share burden.

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