LAHORE: Summer camps during vacation have been disallowed in Punjab schools citing security concerns.

This was reportedly declared at a meeting of the administrative secretaries committee which was presided over by Chief Secretary Zahid Saeed here at the Civil Secretariat, assuring however that the overall law and order had considerably been improved in the province due to the effective implementation of the National Action Plan.

It was also stated that most educational institutions had been forced to go on summer vacation. The few still open due to examinations would also follow suit soon.

Officials cite security reasons

The chief secretary ordered special measures for improving security of schools, colleges, educational institutes, parks, hospitals and other public places.

Official sources said the meeting was informed that 33 dengue cases had been confirmed in different cities of the province including Multan and especially Rawalpindi.

The chief secretary termed the figure alarming and ordered immediate steps to control the menace. The view was that the cases were now being reported quickly due to the better communication system adopted by the government. And this should be taken as an opportunity to respond to the threat accordingly.

Mr Saeed also asked the administrative secretaries to prefer redressing problems of people and deciding departmental issues at local level so as to avoid enhancing litigation. “We should do what courts would finally ask us to do,” he reportedly told the secretaries.

He asked his colleagues to speed up work on development projects and get approved next fiscal year’s uplift schemes in June.

He said all departments should extend full cooperation to the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission for resolving problems of Pakistani expatriates. Preparing for the forthcoming monsoons and flood season was another direction.The meeting prayed for the early recovery of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2016