Lahore: Educational institutions told to prepare security plans

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Heads of institutions told to consult concerned SPs in preparing plan * Govt to provide training to guards deployed at campuses

By Anwer Hussain Sumra
LAHORE: The Punjab government has directed all public and private educational institutions to prepare comprehensive security plans for their security.

A senior official of the Home Department told Daily Times on Wednesday the schools’ security plans would have to be approved by the concerned superintendent of police (SP), and no negligence in the institutions’ security would be tolerated.

The official said there were no specific reports of potential terrorist attacks against private co-educational institutions. He said there was a general terrorist threat, and the Home Department had convened a meeting with the education secretary and representatives of public and private educational institutions.

He said the meeting directed the representatives of educational institutions to be prepared to defend their campuses against terrorist threats. They were directed to enhance security to the highest level. The representatives were told the government could not provide security to all institutions, and they should develop their own security mechanisms along the guidelines provided by law enforcement agencies. The representatives of educational institutions were directed to keep their eyes open, and to inform the local police about any possible danger.

The official said everyone needed to be vigilant in the ‘war against terrorism’ to assist the government in curbing the anti-state elements.

He said the education secretary had been directed to categorise educational institutions in the public and private sectors on the basis of students’ enrolment and area of construction, so that security guards could be deployed accordingly.

Training: He said the government would provide training facilities to the guards hired by the educational institutions.

Commenting on reports of terrorists entering the province, the official said it was the law enforcement agencies’ duty to inform the government of the terrorists’ preparedness.

Home Department Secretary Nadeem Hassan Asif told Daily Times there was no report of terrorists potentially attacking co-educational schools. He said the heads of all public and private educational institutions had been directed to deploy sufficient security at their campuses.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg13_1