BAHAWALPUR: Punjab government’s security monitoring team on Monday visited several educational institutes here, Ahmedpur East and Yazman to inspect arrangements made according to standards set by the government.

The team headed by Punjab Auqaf Secretary Nayyar Iqbal and comprising Regional Investigation Bureau (RIB) Senior Superintendent of Police Mushtaq Ahmed Bhutta and Special Branch Superintendent of Police Amir Taimur was constituted on the directives of the chief minister.

Immediate inspection of educational institutes was necessitated by the government, while police and civil administration had recently sealed Khwaja Farid campus of the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) as well as Government Postgraduate Degree College, Baghdad Road, over poor security arrangements, and the IUB administration had conveyed its reservations.

On Monday, a source told Dawn the monitoring team found security measures at IUB’s Baghdadul Jadid campus unsatisfactory with a directive to the administration to make changes in accordance with the government-announced standards.

District Police Officer (DPO) Sarfaraz Ahmed Falki told Dawn: “We have written to the IUB vice chancellor to meet all requirements of security at the Baghdadul Jadid campus.”

He said remaining security arrangements on campus, including construction of 11-mile boundary wall in addition to installation of CCTV cameras and increasing security guards, were being taken.

According to the public relations officer of the DPO, the monitoring teams checked security measures at the Government College on Baghdad Road and St. Dominican Convent School in Model Town A.

The team also inspected security arrangements at two Rangers and army schools in Ahmedpur East and another in Yazman.

The team will submit an inspection report to the chief minister. In the light of the report and recommendations, heads of educational institutes will be warned to ensure foolproof security measures for safety of students and teachers.

According to an official handout issued on Monday, Secretary Iqbal also addressed a meeting of heads of local educational institutes and the district administration. He directed that strict security measures at all institutes should be ensured and those lacking in any way should be completed immediately.

According to the handout, he asked the officials of IUB, Hasilpur, Government College and Danish School, Hasilpur, present at the meeting to raise heights of and strengthen walls of their campuses.

DAYCARE: Punjab Minister for Women Development and Welfare Begum Waheeduddin inaugurated two newly established daycare centres at Bahawal Victoria Hospital and Government Civil Hospital, Jhangiwalar Road.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said currently there were 61 daycare centres and 16 working women’s hostels in the province, while a project to open more centres and hostels across the province had been finalised by the government.

She said during the next year a legal cell would be established in each union council to provide legal help to deserving women.

Earlier, Begum Waheeduddin addressed girls under training at the women’s chamber here.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2016