Park at your own risk: Punjab University plagued with vehicle theft

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Park at your own risk: PU plagued with vehicle theft

* PU students say university administration unable to ensure security
* Hostel student says security guards not securing anything
* PU chief security officer says he is working to improve security standard
* PU resident officer says crime figures low



By Adnan Lodhi

LAHORE: The Punjab University (PU) administration has been unable to curtail a string of crimes, with 87 incidents of vehicle theft from the university premises over the past nine months.

The PU administration has displayed a banner at the campus, directing owners to secure their vehicles, as the university would not be responsible for any incident of theft or damage.

However, according to the students, the university has only one official parking stand for its 65 departments. The facility is in the administration block and accessible only to staff, forcing students and teachers to park their cars in unprotected spaces, at the mercy of thieves. They said that lax security has become a major issue in light of the recent unearthing of weaponry from the hostel grounds. With about 213 PU security guards failing to maintain security, incidents of car and motorcycle theft, as well as mobile snatching, are at a peak.

A police official at the Muslim Town Police Station told Daily Times that over the past nine months, 87 vehicles including 70 motorcycles and 15 cars have been stolen, adding that at least 24 incidents of mobile snatching have also occurred.

Ensuring security: A PU student, Muhammad Tauseef said that the administration has clearly told students that they cannot ensure their security or that of their vehicles, adding that students were worried after the display of banners waiving liability in case of theft. He said that the administration was reluctant to take action and crime in the varsity was rising every day.

Another student, Kashif Mahmood, said that incidents of mobile snatching were on the rise and the administration appeared to be oblivious to the incidents. He said that thieves were active the entire night, however, no FIRs were registered to preserve the reputation of the university. He claimed that the reason behind the lack of security was the involvement of security officials in the crimes. He alleged that there was no criterion for the hiring of security guards, adding that most of them were relatives of the PU vice-chancellor (VC) and other PU officials. The number of security guards has been doubled under the tenure of the current VC, however, the administration is still telling students that the university cannot ensure their security, he added.

Security guards: A hostel resident, Naila, said that snatching incidents had also happened in the girls’ hostels, as motorcyclists deprived female students of their bags and mobiles. She said that the administration had hired a battalion of security guards who were not securing anything. She added that a comprehensive security plan should be framed for the varsity, especially the hostels.

A PU official told Daily Times that the PU administration was utilising a significant amount of funds for the maintenance of security at the campus without getting any results. He said that it was a lamentable situation when three motorcycles were stolen from a single department in the same day, adding that poor students were being deprived of their means of transportation without any form of compensation from the administration. He also said that due to the negligence of security officials, five incidents of theft had occurred in the professors’ colony, when thieves broke into the houses and fled with valuables. He added that the university administration had suppressed the lodging of first information reports (FIR) to hide the incident.

Upgrade: PU Chief Security Officer Abdul Rehman Sayal said that there were about 213 security guards performing their duties to maintain security in the varsity. He said that the reported incidents were in the past and he was now working to upgrade security on campus. Weapons currently held by security guards are dummies, and the administration is working on that issue, he added.

Crime figures: PU Resident Officer Dr Bashir Ahmad said that incidents of theft were high during the Bs (honours) and Masters admissions, because visitors failed to follow the rules and regulations. He said that the crime figure was low and only a few incidents had actually taken place. He also said that the administration had served notices to department heads to forward requests for parking facilities, so as to maintain security.

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