SWABI, Sept 5: The watchmen of both public and private educational institutions in the district have been cautioned to remain alert at night and immediately inform the nearest police station if they see any suspicious movement.

According to officials, the cautions were issued after several educational educations, especially girl schools, were targeted by unidentified militants in the district during the month of Ramazan.

They said that all the schools and colleges were targeted when watchmen were not present there and had gone to their homes for Sehri.

“In the prevailing scenario, there is dire need to take precautionary measures to protect the educational institutions and future of children,” they said. There are more than 900 government schools in the district and the number will exceed 2,000 if private institutions and mosque schools are included in it.

It is pertinent to mention here that several schools and colleges were attacked during Ramazan in different areas of the district.

The educational institutions at Marghuz, Khalil Banda, Tand Koi and Captain Karnal Sher Kallay had been so badly damaged in the attacks that they could no longer be used by students and teachers.

“Both the watchmen at Karnal Sher College were on duty and it was not possible for militants to plant explosives inside the institution. They detonated bombs outside the main entrance of the college and disappeared,” officials said.

They said the sabotage incidents made it clear that watchmen should remain awake at night but it did not mean that the managements of schools and colleges should not remain watchful at the daytime.

They said that heads of educational institutions were directed to keep their watchmen alert because in case of any incident they would be held responsible.

It has been learnt the heads of the institutions issued orders to the watchmen, telling them that they would be responsible for any untoward incident at night.