Jan 07, 2015
LAHORE: Punjab government has alerted public educational institutions about possible terrorist attack and directed to adopt foolproof security arrangements, it is learnt. The "Threat Alert: 1143", a copy available with The News, was issued by the office of Commissioner Lahore to the CCPO and RPO of Sheikhupura Range and DCOs of Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur and Nankana Sahib on January 1. The threat alert reads "reportedly, it has reliably been learnt that miscreants are planning to carry out terrorist attack, on unidentified government schools/colleges on the line of recent APS Peshawar attack.
According to information, "attack will be aimed at making the students and school administration hostage for subsequent bargain for release of their accomplices detained in various jails awaiting execution or held in custody".
The letter recommended adopting preventive measures to overcome the terrorist activities and protection of government schools and colleges to avert any untoward incident.
It did not share any further details or specifically mentioning name of any public school or college but recommended close coordination among all the intelligence agencies for sharing information and helping in nabbing the terrorists before they succeed in their nefarious plan.
It is pertinent to mention that after the Peshawar school attack, the Punjab government had announced early winter holidays from December 19,2014 to January 2, 2015 in order to ensure maximum security arrangements in the meanwhile. However, the holidays were extended with now campuses scheduled to be open across Punjab on January 12.
The holidays were extended, primarily, because many public and private educational institutions had not completed security arrangements. While the Punjab government also had the gigantic task of constructing boundary walls of around 2,600 public schools across the province.
Many private schools of the provincial metropolis as well as in other districts were issued show cause notices for failing to follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) developed by the Punjab home department after the unfortunate Peshawar school attack.
In an earlier’ threat alert, the Punjab government had warned against an attack on foreign schools. Reportedly, recently there have been threat alerts about missionary schools and those operated by the armed forces. Some of the SOPs, meant for public and private institutions as well as those operating under the missionary, armed forces and multinational bodies, the cam* puses should have a boundary wall up to 8x feet fencing the same with razor wire upto another 2x feet, zigzag entry into premises through deployment of concrete barriers, deployment of guards after verification of credentials by Special Branch of Police and installation of CCTV cameras system and provision of generator/UPS for ensuring uninterrupted power supply for inside and outside coverage.
(The News)
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