ISLAMABAD: The latest directive issued by capital police, instructing educational institutions to construct bunkers on their rooftops for snipers, have left their budget constrained and administrators confused. They claimed that they lack funds to construct bunkers let alone hire snipers.

Inspector General of Islamabad Police, through an official letter, available with Dawn, dated January 21, 2015, directed educational institutions to construct a small bunker surrounded by sand bags on the rooftop of the building for deployment of snipers.

“Depute snipers/gunners at the pickets to keep watch over activities taking place around the building,” read the letter, which also directed educational institutions to take several other steps for ensuring security of students and teachers.

Sources in the education department said that schools do not have the funds to hire snipers.

Private security guards deployed at educational institutions are not trained in handling firearms

Already, the few public institutions which have recently managed to hire private security guards have complained to the FDE that the guards are not trained in handling firearms.

“Three guards were deployed to our college as per Federal Directorate of Education’s (FDE) instructions; however, only one of them was armed. On January 14, they informed the college administration that they are going to see their employer regarding some matter and have not returned to this day,” said a professor at Islamabad Model College for Boys, H-9.

Similarly, a teacher at Islamabad Model College for Girls, F-8/1 told Dawn that the security guard deployed at the college has an extremely casual attitude towards his duties.

“The old man deployed for security at the college took charge on January 13 and on the same night he gave his gun to his son and exchanged duties with him. He told us that his son is also an employee of the same security company. A week later, the duty along with the company’s weapon was handed over to his second son without any proper documentation,” the teacher said.

Even more worrying is the fact that neither the old man nor his sons are trained in handling firearms.

The teacher told Dawn that the principal of the college through an official letter had informed the FDE that the guards are not trained in handling firearms.

A source in the FDE confirmed the receipt of the letter but declined to share its contents. He said that some other colleges had also complained that the guards deployed for security are not trained in handling firearms.

Recently, a college student was critically injured by a bullet accidentally fired by an untrained guard deployed at a nearby school. Teachers in the federal capital expressed concern over the situation and said that by deploying untrained guards the authorities are not only leaving schools vulnerable to attack but also inviting danger.

FDE’s Director Security Tanveer Ahmed, who hired the private security company which has deployed 50 guards at colleges, told Dawn that the best company had been hired under the available budget.

“We are working to develop effective coordination with police, who are well trained,” he said.

“It is true that snipers cannot be hired so educational institutions will have to depend on the security guards available,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2015

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