LAHORE: Bomb scare in six government and public schools of the city panicked police and parents on Wednesday.

Police said the guards of two schools -- Gulshan-i-Ravi Government Girls High School in G-block and Saeeda Butt Private School -- were told by a motorcyclist that bombs were planted in the institutions’ buildings around 10:55am.

The guards alerted the respective administrations of the schools, prompting them to evacuate the buildings. Police were also informed of the situation.

According to schools’ administrations, fear and panic gripped the students and staff after learning about the alleged presence of bombs in the buildings.

The students were heard screaming and fleeing the schools’ premises, an eyewitness said.

He said when the students informed their parents about the situation, they rushed to the schools to pick them. The schools were closed for the day.

However, Bomb Disposal Squad later cleared the schools after a thorough search as no explosive device was found there.

Meanwhile, anonymous calls about presence of explosives on the premises were also received by the administrations of Government Boys High School, Chandni Chowk, Sanda, Himayat-i-Islam School near Yateem Khana Chowk and two others -- one in Millat Park and the other in Township -- on Wednesday morning.

Iqbal Town Superintendent of Police (SP) Shaista Nadeem told Dawn that five to six calls were received at different educational institutions but no bomb was found there. She said following the calls the Bomb Disposal Squad conducted extensive search operations in the schools’ premises but found no explosives.

She said the police had launched investigations for identification of the hoaxer(s) who would be arrested soon.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2016