KOHAT: The private schools association, which represents 430 schools in Kohat district, has accused police of harassing them in the name of security, and asked the administration to concentrate on 70 per cent government schools which are ‘without’ security arrangements.

The association’s president, Rab Nawaz, told reporters on Tuesday that some government schools had even no boundary wall and watchmen, but the police neglected them and only harassed the owners of private schools.

He admitted that 25 per cent private schools were without prescribed security details, but said they were making arrangements to fulfill the government’s demand. The schools could not afford to install CCTV cameras, employ two watchmen, fix iron grills on the walls and train staff, guards and students on how to react in case of terrorist attack, he observed, and demanded financial grant to the schools to make the required security arrangements. He requested the district police to arrange training for the staff and students.

He asked the DPO to stop threatening them and registering FIRs against the schools’ heads.

Escalator demanded: The students and staffers of the Kohat University of Science and Technology (Kust) have demanded installation of an escalator to rid them of the hassle of climbing stairs to reach the classrooms and faculties located at the blocks 100 feet above the ground.

A staffer of the social work department told Dawn that installing a lift had been the longstanding demand of the students and staffers alike, but the authorities were least bothered. He said in summers it became extremely difficult to climb up the 120-foot staircase, particularly for women.

Departments of journalism and mass communication, economics, pharmacy and chemistry are located there, making it difficult for thousands of students and staff to negotiate the staircase time and again between the classes.

When contacted, Mr Altaf, the university’s director works, told Dawn that a plan was under consideration to construct a suspension bridge from the administration block up to the departments. However, sources said the university faced unavailability of funds to carry out the project.

The staffers and students appealed to the administration to shift the departments to the ground floors or install a lift to rid them of the problem.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2016