Aftermath of Charsadda attack: Universities beef up security

Sindh Police to kick off neighbourhood watch programme for better intelligence

KARACHI:

The militant attack at Bacha Khan University in Charsadda on Wednesday has led universities in Karachi to beef up security on campuses as well.

The administrations of the University of Karachi (KU), NED University of Engineering and Technology and Federal Urdu University of Arts Science and Technology (Fuuast) have issued high alerts. They have also barred unofficial vehicles and unauthorised persons from entering the varsities.

Thursday (today) will be the first day of classes at KU, where the administration met Rangers officials and decided to enhance their patrolling along with those of their own security guards, said the university's registrar Dr Moazam Ali Khan. "Vehicles with tinted glasses have been completely barred from entering the campus," he said.

The administration of NED University, located next to KU, also met Rangers officials to discuss security plans, said NED registrar Ghazanfar Husain.

Located further down University Road, Fuuast is relying on its own security guards and the current security plan. "We have cameras installed on campus and are planning to install more," said Fuuast spokesperson Erum Fazal. The students have been asked to carry their university IDs as well as their computerised national identity cards (CNICs) at all times, she added. New students, who have yet to receive their university cards, must carry their CNICs, said Fazal, adding that they should carry their admissions slips too.

Meanwhile, the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) has deployed additional guards at both their KU and Saddar campuses, said IBA security in-charge Captain Khalid Rasheed. For IBA's campus at KU, he said that the security team visited the areas in the vicinity.

The bushes around the campus will be cleared so that the guards can monitor the people making their way towards the campus, he said, adding that the Rangers will also be making rounds. IBA will shut down the gates of all campuses every day in the evening, he added.

Habib University's security team will face a challenge due to the remote location of their Gulistan-e-Jauhar campus. Security around the campus is already high round the clock, said the university's security in-charge, Colonel Aftab. "The location of the Habib University is sensitive due Jinnah International Airport at one side and army installations on the other," he said.

Ziauddin University in Clifton had already beefed up security following the APS attack in Peshawar in 2014, said the university spokesperson, Amir Shahzad. The law enforcement agencies, according to him, are always in touch with them. During class hours, the police and the Rangers continue patrolling the surrounding areas.

Prove your identity

These security updates have yet to be experienced by students, many of whom insisted that the situation on campus stayed normal. NED University's Aziz Khan told The Express Tribune that the presence of Rangers on campus was the same as any other day.

Since Wednesday was orientation day at KU, a criminology department student, Awaiz, said that all students were allowed inside the campus after showing their university cards.

Neighbourhood watch programme

Sindh police also sprang into action following the deadly Charsadda attack and are exploring some new intelligence-gathering programmes.

A neighbourhood watch programme will be introduced at the districts level in which residents will be encouraged to share information with the local police on the presence of anti-state elements, said Sindh IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali. He wished to strengthen the concept of community policing across the province.

According to Sindh Police spokesperson Dr Muizzuddin Peerzada, the IG issued these directives to be followed especially at educational institutions. "Steps must be adopted to ensure the presence of police personnel in their respective areas to monitor all banned outfits and criminal elements," said IG Jamali. "Members of militant and sectarian groups should be kept under surveillance."

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2016.