CHINIOT: In the aftermath of the death of a girl at school in Sialkot, the public schools across Punjab have been directed to cordon off under-construction structures and depute one teacher whole time during the school hours to stop the children getting close to under-construction structures.

On directions of School Education Department, Chiniot District Education Authority’s Chief Executive Officer Azhar Sohail Niazi has issued instruction and precautionary measures and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to all the 250 schools of the district to take precautionary measures.

The letter, addressed to all the principals and headmasters of schools, said that in order to ensure the safety students and staff, the instructions must be strictly implemented in schools where construction work was in progress.

“All construction sites must be completely cordoned off through installation of strong barricades, fencing, safety tape with clear and visible warning signboards. A teacher is deployed at each construction site. Additional vigilance must also be ensured during recess. Bricks, steel bars, cement and other machinery and material must be in a secure manner to minimise the risk of accidents,” the letter said.The Punjab government had decided to construct some 5,000 classrooms in public schools across the province to meet the shortage of infrastructure. Out of these classrooms, the 214 classrooms are being constructed in schools in district Chiniot. After release of the first tranche of funds, the construction work was started by all the schools across the province and most of the schools completed the foundations, walls of these rooms. But they are waiting for the next tranche, which was stopped by the school education department and the district authorities months ago. These under-construction structures have been abandoned due to lack of funds.

Chiniot District Education Authority CEO Azhar Sohail Niazi told Dawn that the under-construction structures were cordoned off to save the children while the Punjab government was also making arrangements for early release of funds to complete the structures.

A few days ago, a girl student of the Government Girls Higher Secondary school, Bediana, District Sialkot, was buried under the under-construction structure that had collapsed on her. The government took action and registered a case against the CEO of District Education Authority Mujahid Hussain and the school principal Kalsoom, and the contractor.

The Punjab Teachers Union condemned the warning letters issued by education authorities to the school principals and teachers. Safdar Kalroo, vice president of PTU, demanded Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz take notice of the situation and release funds to complete under-constructions projects.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2026