Armed and ready: Teachers to get gun licenses post BKU attack

Authorities agree on free permits for govt educationists, private ones to pay fee

PESHAWAR:

The massacre at the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda has once again sowed the idea of arming teachers at schools and the K-P administration has decided to issue free weapons’ licences for government educational institutes’ employees.

On Saturday, the provincial home ministry confirmed free licences would be issued after an official shows the necessary authority letter.



A day earlier, Bacha Khan University faculty members met the vice chancellor and demanded they be allowed to carry weapons on the premises of the university. The meeting came in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack on the varsity which left 22 people dead.

The home department said government educational institutes would get free licences, while private entities have to pay a fee.

An official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that government officials only needed to show an authority letter from their department when applying for the licence.

Mixed opinions

Teachers showed a mixed reaction to the idea of carrying weapons on the premises of their institutions. Talking to The Express Tribune, K-P All Primary Teachers Association President Malik Khalid Khan said he was aware that educational institutes were seats of learning, but stressed the need for teachers to bear arms in these turbulent times.  He appreciated the government’s initiative to allow teachers to get free weapons licences. However, he said there must be a strict ban on the display of weapons on any campus.



On the other hand, Fazal Hanif, a schoolteacher in Mardan, believed these weapons would affect children’s studies and only create panic. He recalled that a student in Swat was killed a few months ago when his teacher was cleaning a pistol and it accidentally went off.

“Teachers are there to teach students and not to protect the school,” said Alif Ailaan Regional Coordinator Umar Orakzai. He added the government should train policemen to protect schools. The coordinator asked if two or three policemen were hired for the safety of a single MPA or MNA, why not schools? He added the government should form a new force security at educational institutes and have at least one trained security guard for the schools.

After the Army Public School massacre in 2014 which resulted in the death of 144 people who were mostly children, the K-P government allowed teachers to carry weapons on campus. However, there was much criticism from social activists and political parties. This forced the government to withdraw its decision and teachers were no longer allowed to bear arms on campus.  The incident of the death of a student in Swat gave credence to their stance.



On Friday, the vice chancellors of all 17 public universities held a meeting and demanded the establishment of police check posts at their institutes.

The VCs congregated at Bacha Khan University in Charsadda to condole with VC Fazal Raheem Marwat at his office.

The educationists paid tribute to teachers, students and other staff members and expressed their solidarity. The meeting also discussed threats to public sector universities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and demanded the government install proper measures and security posts. It was also asked that automatic weapons be provided to university staff and guards be trained properly.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2016.