Fazlehaq College Mardan closed for security reasons

MARDAN: The Fazlehaq College here has been closed for an indefinite periods due to inadequate security and following a specific threat of a likely attack, sources said on Saturday.

In fact, the college was shutdown on September 19 only a day after the students returned from home following the Eidul Azha holidays. As it is a residential college, the students and staff were told to vacate the premises as soon as possible.

Though the Fazlehaq College Principal Mohammad Riaz had reportedly told the police that the security arrangements at the institution spread over 510 kanals of land were inadequate and was, therefore, being closed, sources said that there was a specific threat to the college from one of the militants’ group. The name of Jamaatul Ahrar, which claimed responsibility for most recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan, was being mentioned as the group most likely behind the threat to the college.

The college principal, who had taken charge almost one and a half year ago after serving for years at the geology department of University of Peshawar, reportedly also informed the police that they would try to improve security at the college and seek the help of law-enforcement agencies for this purpose.

The Fazlehaq College has presently 710 students on its rolls. There are about 250 teachers and other employees at the college. The college was set up by late governor Lt Gen (R) Fazlehaq and is named after him. Its first principal was the late educationist Abdul Ali Khan, a brother of late ANP leader Khan Abdul Wali Khan.

When contacted, Superintendent of Police (Operation) Shafiullah Khan said that security had been provided to the college, but it was spread over hundreds of kanals of land.

He said that several hundred students studied at the college while hundreds of staff members worked there so more time was needed to make better security arrangements at the institution.