Falling short: Rawalpindi education department yet to hire security guards

Selected guards have refused to accept job on Rs13,000 monthly salary

RAWALPINDI: The education department has so far failed to make proper arrangements for ensuring the security of public schools in Rawalpindi District according to the government-approved SOPs, it has been learnt.

The district government had declared some 500 schools as sensitive from the point of view of security.

The government, however, has so far failed to hire trained security guards, provide arm licenses to the heads of the schools, and purchase of semi-automatic machine guns.

An education department official told The Express Tribune that the department issued appointment letters for security guards on February 13 but had not been able to provide guards to all the schools.

The official said that the government had selected retired army men for the position of guards who were matriculate.

The education department had offered Rs13, 000 as monthly salary for the guards.

He said that most of the selected guards had turned down the job offer by the government, while terming the salary meager.

The official said that the department had also offered the jobs to other applicants and it had been waiting for their response.

The official, desiring anonymity, further disclosed the office of the district coordination officer had not issued arm licenses to headmasters of the sensitive schools.

He said that the heads of the schools had deposited the fee and submitted required documents to obtain the licenses.

The official said that the government had asked the heads of the schools to purchase the semi-automatic machine guns from the POF, Wah.

One gun cost Rs110,000 and the schools could not afford to purchase the gun.

This reporter tried repeatedly to contact the Executive District Officer Education, Qazi Zahoorul Haq for his comment but the official could not be contacted.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2016.