FAISALABAD: Students of the Government College University, Faisalabad, are exposed to major security threats, as identity cards of thousands of them lack pictures, date of issuance and residential addresses.

A large number of students enter the university through fee vouchers or photocopies of their particulars on plain papers.

The administration recently issued several cards saying they had been renewed, but those cards had also expired months ago. The identity cards did not have specific security features that could prevent them from being copied, which was why duplicates of these cards could be used by anyone to gain entry into the varsity.

ID cards either not issued, expired or don’t carry pictures, addresses

Moreover, instead of a professional, a university professor was serving as the chief security officer. As many as 32,000 students were studying in different disciplines at the university in bachelors, masters and PhD programmes.

Students requesting anonymity said some candidates of the 2014 session even did not have identity cards and were entering the university through vouchers or photocopies. These students had taken up the issue with the administration, but to no avail. Their parents were concerned about the security on campus, however, the administration seemed least interested in resolving the issue, they added. They further alleged security guards also allowed entry of outsiders after receiving gratification.

The students said those coming in cars and luxury vehicles were only asked whom they were going to meet instead of their vehicles being checked properly. Quite a few times some students managed to take pistols to classrooms, they added.

Sources said the administration was well aware of the negligence and inefficiency of the officials entrusted with the task to prepare and issue foolproof cards. However, no action had been taken against them yet.

Immediately after the Army Public School Peshawar attack, the university had spent millions of rupees on the construction of a steel boundary wall around the campus. However, negligence of the administration could jeopardise security as there was no system to check entry of irrelevant people, the sources added.

A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said they had detected a number of serious security lapses at the university. He said although ensuring issuance of proper identity cards was the sole responsibility of the university administration, police would not turn a blind eye to the issue and would take it up at the relevant level.

He said a panic alarm button facility introduced by former city police officer Dr Sohail Habib Tajik had been installed at the university to respond to any kind of eventuality. The button was connected to various police departments, he added.

City Police Officer Afzaal Kausar told Dawn keeping in view the current security scenario, it was imperative that all students have valid identity cards enabling the university administration to check outsiders/criminals in the garb of students.

He said ensuring protection of students and faculty was the combined responsibility of the university and police. Universities had to maintain proper security arrangements on campus and police were doing their best to protect lives and property of people, he added.

Regarding a professor serving as the chief security officer instead of a professional, Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Ali said: “There is no harm in having a professor in charge of security as it is common practice in all universities. We have three professional subedar majors.”

He said they were checking identities of students and no one was allowed to enter without proper identification.

Dr Ali avoided the question regarding action against negligent officials who had issued expired cards without pictures of students, issuance date and addresses. He claimed the issue would be resolved by Monday before the students return after the weekend.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2016