RAWALPINDI: For the security of public and private schools, the provincial government has started installing Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and connecting it with the Safe City Authority’s network.

So far, work has been completed in 48 schools.

District Education Authority Chief Executive Officer Tariq Mehmood told Dawn that there were 162 schools in the public and 133 schools in private sector. The CCTV cameras will be connected with the Safe City network for surveillance round the clock, he added.

He said the schools had been categorised as A plus and A. “Schools having more than 2000 students have been put in A plus category while schools with over 500 students but less than 2000 are included in the A category,” he said.

Work completed in 48 schools in Rawalpindi district on direction of Punjab govt

He said that at present, 48 government schools had been connected with Safe City network and the security cameras installed in entrance and exit gates and the boundary walls will be monitored by staff of Safe City Authority.

He said that the programme was launched for the security of the students under Safe Punjab project of Punjab government. Winter vacations have started in schools from Monday (December 22) and schools will open from January 11.

“During this period, the Safe City Authority officials will complete the work in all 162 public sector schools and 133 private sector schools. The monitoring teams have been formed in public and private schools and it will start their work in coordination with Safe City Authority,” he said.

Mr Mehmood said that District Education Authority (DEA) had already issued 14-point security measures and school safety standard operating procedures for public and private educational institutions across the district.

He said that all private educational institutions were required to construct a boundary wall at least eight feet high with two feet of barbed wire on top, install CCTV cameras and ensure their full functionality, including a UPS and backup system.

He said that schools will also ensure proper CCTV coverage both inside and outside, establish a functional control room, have a working metal detector, and hire security guards who will be fully uniformed and armed, after a thorough verification process.

In addition, he said that a visitors’ register must be maintained at the vigilance point, emergency numbers should be prominently displayed and posters with security instructions, emergency exits, and school safety mock drills must be used.

“All school owners and principals were strictly instructed to implement the SOPs immediately and submit a completion report within the stipulated timeframe. Strict legal action will be taken in case of any violation,” he said.

A senior official of Punjab Safe City Authority told Dawn that the integration of CCTV cameras with safe city network will significantly improve the surveillance system, creating a more secure environment across the province.

He said that the initiative was started on the directives of the Punjab government and Safe City Authority will further enhance its capacity with CCTV cameras installed at offices, shops, petrol stations and commercial centres.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2025