KARACHI: The Sindh government decided on Thursday that only those schools should reopen for classes on Jan 12 after the winter vacation where foolproof security arrangements have been made.

It also decided to implement a ‘short-term security plan’ for all educational institutions in the metropolis.

These decisions were taken at a meeting in Governor House chaired by Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and attended by Sindh Education Minister Nisar Khoro, Rangers DG Major General Bilal Akbar, Sindh IG Ghulam Haider Jamali, Karachi commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqi and other senior security and government officials.

The winter vacation was earlier extended by the government by 11 days for security reasons.

“It was decided in the meeting that only those schools would resume their educational activities from Jan 12 where foolproof security arrangements have been made,” a Governor House official told Dawn after the meeting.

“The short-term security plan would be implemented. To ensure its implementation, a committee has been set up which would be headed by Karachi commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqi and registrar of private schools Rafia Mallah would be its coordinator with representatives of private schools body as its members. The committee would hold security audit of Karachi schools.”

Sindh Rangers DG Major Bilal Akbar briefed the meeting participants that the paramilitary force had been conducting ‘successful operation’ in Karachi and several gangs of militants had been busted while dozens of criminals had been killed during the exercise.

“The Sindh Rangers has eliminated several terrorist groups during the operation and weakened their capability to a large extent but the threat is not over yet,” a Governor House statement quoted the Sindh Rangers DG as saying.

“The Rangers has set up a task force and introduced a helpline to approach the force in case of any threat. The schools have been made aware of that helpline which would prove effective in collective effort to fight terrorism.”

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2015

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