Khyber Law College closed after security threats

PESHAWAR: The threats of a possible terrorist attack on Khyber Law College forced the administration of the University of Peshawar (UoP) to close the institution for one week, reliable sources told The News.

The sources said the classes would resume from next Monday at the relatively more secure new academic block of the university instead of the spacious building of the college. 

According to the sources, the chief security officer of the university had received serious security threats concerning the Khyber Law College, which prompted him along with the principal of the college and the commandant Campus Police to call on UoP Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohammad Asif and request him to close the college for some time. 

“No official notification was issued regarding the closure of the Khyber Law College. However, verbal directives were given by the vice-chancellor to the management of the college to close it for at least one week and resume the classes in the new academic block of the university from Monday,” an official of the university confided to The News. 

The officials responsible for the security of the university were reluctant to confirm any specific threats to any block or institute in the university. However, some officials said that overall security in the provincial capital had been beefed up in the wake of the upcoming Muharram and following some general threat alerts of a possible attack. Some reports suggested that around 10
suicide bombers had been tasked to carry out a terrorist activity in the provincial capital and elsewhere in Khyber Paskhtunkhwa.

Some of the threats of a terrorist attack were specific about the Khyber Law College and this was the reason the college was closed, the reports said. 

Security on the larger campus that houses four universities, seven colleges and a number of other institutes and schools has already been tightened. The entry gates into the campus have been reduced to just three from over a dozen.

A strong contingent of the Campus Police stands guard at all the entrances of the university campus round the clock.