After the terror attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16, 2014, the government announced the National Action Plan (NAP) to curb terrorism in the country. Under the NAP, educational institutions were directed to take foolproof security measures within 30 days, so that such incidents do not occur in the future.

Now the police in the garrison city have started registering cases against the heads of educational institutions for their failure to put in place the needed security measures. In a recent development, the police registered cases against the principals, especially women, and the administrations of government and private schools. As a result, a wave of fear and panic has gripped the teachers and students. Besides the educational institutions, the police are also going after the owners of business establishments, bank managers etc., for insufficient security.

In a latest move by the district police, 28 cases were registered in one day. Of these, 13 cases were filed against government and private school principals and the remaining against house owners, tenants and business establishments.

Though the traders had already expressed their reservations over the registration of cases against them for writing down advertisements on walls, the teachers have also criticised the police for booking the school heads.

Qazi Zahoorul Haq, the executive district officer (education), was equally worried over the police move against the heads of three educational institutions – Government Girls Degree College and two government girls schools in Dhoke Hassu. He held a meeting with the district coordination officer (DCO) on Thursday to convey his concern over the registration of cases against women educationists who were not supposed to make security arrangements.

“Yes, the teachers are worried over the registration of cases against them. However, the DCO has assured us that the issue would be resolved very soon,” the EDO told Dawn. He said the installation of walk-through gates was not binding on the government schools as it had been ordered for private educational institutions.

When asked about the placement of sandbag bunkers, deployment of armed guards in educational institutions, he remarked: “An atmosphere of fear shouldn’t prevail in the educational institutions but we have to follow the government orders.” He was of the view that by registering police cases and deploying armed guards everywhere, the menace of terrorism cannot be checked. But he believed that what the government was doing may normalise the security situation.

City Police Officer (CPO) Israr Ahmed Abbasi had earlier said the police had no other option but to register cases against those who were not following the security-related directions. However, the CPO now looks a bit defensive after the teachers protested the registration of cases against them.

When contacted, CPO Israr Abbasi said: “Since the security strategy does not apply on government schools and colleges, the heads of educational institutions or teachers booked by the police will not be arrested.” He said the cases registered against the principals of government schools would be quashed.

“I think it’s creating a prison-like environment as students seemed panicked. Teachers and visitors to my son’s school are stopped at the entrance by armed security guards and asked to pass through the surveillance cameras,” said Mohammad Azhar, the father of a seventh class student.

Nadeem Mughal, another parent, said his school-going daughters had been in distress on seeing the change in the atmosphere of their school. “They talk about the armed guards, sandbag bunkers, raised walls with razor wire and surveillance cameras instead of concentrating on their studies,” he said.

Additional general secretary Punjab teachers union, Rana Liaquat Ali, told Dawn that teachers as well as students were working in an atmosphere of fear due to the new security measures. “It is not teachers’ job to make security arrangements; their job is teaching,” he said.

A senior police officer related to the counter-terrorism efforts said: “It is not impossible for the law enforcement agencies to provide foolproof security to the educational or any other institutions.” He said the security of educational and business establishments should be part of the town planning which was unfortunately lacking in our cities.

Published in Dawn May 16th , 2015

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