LAHORE: Law enforcement agencies on Tuesday reviewed security arrangements at different universities and colleges in the city in the wake of the terrorist attack on Army Public School in Peshawar.

Police and intelligence officials visited the Government College University as well as other educational institutes and asked their managements to ensure security as well as that rules and regulations for other matters were followed.

Meanwhile, the Punjab School Education Department has called a meeting of headmasters and headmistresses of public schools at the Government Central Model School, Rattigan Road.

The meeting to be chaired by Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood and Schools Department Secretary Abdul Jabbar Shaheen would review security arrangements at schools and plan to step up measures in educational institutes across Punjab.

Chief Secretary Naveed Akram Cheema has directed that in view of the Peshawar incident, rules and regulations laid down for security measures should be implemented in letter and spirit in all educational institutions in the province.

In a special meeting with higher education and schools departments secretaries as well as police officials, the chief secretary directed to ensure security of students in public and private schools.

He said heads of schools and colleges should discharge their responsibilities for implementing security laws and police authorities extend every possible help and cooperation to them. Besides educational institutions, he said police and secret agencies should perform their duties efficiently at public and private buildings and public places.

The chief secretary on behalf of the Punjab government expressed deep grief and sorrow over the Peshawar school tragedy and announced three-day mourning during which the national flag would fly at half mast at the Civil Secretariat and all other government buildings.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dr Haider Ashraf, head of the operations wing, asked all educational institutions in Lahore to remain on high alert and condemned the killing of children in Peshawar. He said the terrorists attacking children were enemies of the country as well as Pakistani nation and should not be spared.

The DIG issued a circular to all divisional superintendents of police (SP) and directed police officials to undertake strict security measures at all universities, army schools, colleges, private and public schools and academies. Police should also search areas adjacent to educational institutes and step up patrolling during opening and closing hours.

He also asked all SPs, sub-divisional police officers and station house officers to visit educational institutes in their jurisdictions, meet their heads and tell them that all security measures should be taken without laxity. He said entrance and exit points of educational institutes should be reduced, regular security as well as search and sweep systems ensured, heights of boundary walls increased and parking stands kept away from academic blocks. The institutes should also be asked to hire trained security guards from a reputed organisation after verification from the Special Branch. He stressed that all educational institutes should install CCTV cameras.

The DIG also asked the police to update lists of people living on rent in their respective areas.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2014