Govt, LEAs discuss plans to secure educational institutions

Top law enforcers and govt officials summoned to CM House to brainstorm security measures

Karachi 

As military-run schools and colleges in the city remain closed in the wake of heightened security concerns, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Thursday summoned law enforcers and government officials to chalk out a plan for enhancing security for the remaining 15,000 public and private educational institutions in Karachi.

Home minister Sohail Anwar Siyal, Chief Secretary Muhammad Siddique Memon, Director-General Sindh Rangers Bilal Akbar, Home Secretary Muhammad Waseem, Sindh IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali, Additional IG Karachi Mushtaq Mehar, Commissioner Asif Hyder Shah, DIGs of South, East and West police zones, and Secretary Education Dr Fazlullah Pechuho made their way to the CM House to discuss and devise methods to improve security arrangements for thousands of schools in the metropolis.

“Though the overall law and order situation in Karachi has improved, but security of educational institutions must be beefed up,” the chief minister remarked on the occasion. “We cannot let the enemies of our children to destroy our future.”

DG Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar suggested installation of CCTV cameras at all educational institutions in Karachi and linking them to the central command and control centre. He recommended training local representatives and boys and girl scouts so they could help the Rangers and other law-enforcement personnel deployed near schools and colleges for security.

He said if people see anything suspicious they can also call and complain at the Rangers helpline 1101 and police’s Rescue 15, and the rapid response forces of either will reach the spot within only a few minutes.

DG Rangers said he had also prepared a list of schools where security arrangements needed to be enhanced. “We [the police, Rangers and home secretary] will sit together, go over the list and prepare a strategy," he said, giving assurance that there was no need to worry. “They are our children too and we know how to protect them.”

The chief minister said since law and order in the city had been restored, the residents had again developed a degree of confidence on the Rangers, police and also the government. “It becomes our responsibility to come up to the expectations of the citizens and protect them,” he said.

Sindh IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali said more than 15,000 educational institutions were working in the city.

He said the institutions with their own security systems, will be provided back up by the police and Rangers while arrangements at others will be customised according to their need.

DIG South Dr Jameel Ahmed reported that 917 educational institutions functioned in his area and out of them 480 were privately owned. "I have developed a booklet on security measures necessary for educational institutions and have dispatched it to schools while also meeting their managements,” he said. “Boundary walls of schools must be at least eight to 10 feet high and the campuses should have watch towers, CCTV cameras, a centralised alarm system and electronic scanners at gates.”

Sindh Chief Secretary Muhammad Siddique Memon, also Chief Scouts, said there were more than 160,000 scouts across the province. “I will personally chalk out a plan for providing necessary training by personnel of the Pakistan Army to the scouts,” he assured.

Secretary Education Fazullah Pechuho remarked that he had devised an SMS complaint system and all government schools’ head masters, senior teachers and other staff could send short-messages to him directly. 

The chief minister then directed him to expand this SMS service to private schools as well, so they could be helped in case of any emergency.

The chief minister, while taking a policy decision on the occasion, directed the Rangers and Sindh Police to set up check posts, station Rapid-Response Forces near schools, begin meetings with school managements and kick off enhanced patrolling during and between studying shifts. He also issued directives for equipping schools with licensed arms, making arrangements for scanning the staff for security reasons and urging the school managements to keep entry and exit points clear, while stressing on law enforcers and intelligence agencies to proactively share any related information.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal after a separate meeting at the Central Police Office instructed the police department to deploy plainclothes policemen outside schools and colleges.

The station house officers were also directed to remain in contact with the heads of the educational institutions and rush to the scene immediately in case of any emergency.