RAWALPINDI: A fresh security audit of A+ category educational institutions in Punjab has found certain security loopholes, including non-existence of outer security walls, security guards and technical equipment.

In addition, there were lack of mock exercises, communication arrangements, patrolling by police, control rooms, panic buttons, entry arrangements, transport policy and proper training of security guards.

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The fresh audit of 1,047 educational institutions in the category A was conducted by an intelligence agency in May with an objective to examine the effectiveness of their security arrangements, administration and threats. Over 400 security guards were working in these institutions without security clearance by the Special Branch.

Institutions lack control rooms, panic buttons and trained security guards, says survey

The last security audit of A+ category educational institution was carried out in April and the report was discussed at a meeting of the cabinet subcommittee on law and order held in May.

It was decided that the security audit report would be discussed by the Divisional Intelligence Committee (DIC) and necessary measures would be adopted to remove the loopholes.

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The divisional commissioners and regional police officers were asked to direct the committees constituted by them under the Punjab Security of Vulnerable Establishments Act 2015 to visit the educational institutions and review the security arrangements and if any educational institute was found not completing the required arrangements, legal action be taken against its owners or whosoever was managing the institution.

Of the 1,047 educational institutions, 269 were located in Rawalpindi region followed by 205 in Lahore and 167 in Multan. There were 43 such institutions in Sahiwal, 45 in D.G. Khan and 47 in Bahawalpur. According to a security official, foreign schools and those having strength of 500 or more students were categorised as A+ while those having 250 to 500 students were put in the A category.

He said the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the foolproof security of educational institutions had already been issued by the Home Department but it was not being followed by the administration and law enforcement agencies despite repeated security audits.

Besides the dis-functional weapons being used by security guards, inactiveness of panic buttons, lack of searchlights and other major loopholes were also observed by the survey team.

However, it was for the first time that the divisional police chiefs and civil administration had been directed to visit the institutions to review the security arrangements and initiate legal action against those failing to follow the SOP.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2018