Rawalpindi schools, colleges reopening linked to adequate security arrangements
Rawalpindi, Oct 24: Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Saeed on Friday said reopening of educational institutions was linked to adequate security arrangements put in place by their administrations.

He said heads of the educational institutions should inform the students that the institutions would not open on Monday.

Speaking at a security review meeting here, he made it clear that educational institutions and other organisations would prepare their own security arrangements.

He said the Punjab government had closed all the educational institutions in the province and would reopen them after they presented their security arrangement report.He said due to deteriorating law and order situation, the educational institutions and other public and private departments should make foolproof security arrangements. He said all the institutions and departments should erect barriers at their exit and entry points.

A survey conducted by the special branch of the police has revealed that only a few out of the 204 educational institutions have put in place security arrangements, he added.

He said lack of security arrangements would make the institutions an easy target of terrorists; therefore, their administrations should arrange proper security arrangement on the premises.

The commissioner said the city district government would issue arm licences to the heads of educational institutions and other public and private departments. “The government will also arrange short training courses for security personnel if the heads of institutions and other organisations wanted,” he said.

He said women police would be deployed at Fatima Jinnah Women University but the administration of the institution would have to arrange security guards for its campus protection.

He said the city police had also been directed to beef up security in and around hospitals. Security personnel would also be deployed on the rooftops of hospitals to monitor the surrounding areas.

He said the administration of hospitals had been directed to keep a vigil on suspected persons.

On the proposals of the educational institutions’ heads, the commissioner assured them that the traffic police would be directed to make arrangements to ensure smooth flow of traffic around the educational institutions.

He urged the heads of educational institutions to issue identity cards to the students and keep the record of the visitors especially to the hostels.

[Source: interface.edu.pk]