PU teachers seek security after professor’s murder

Say background checks of employees must be conducted by Special Branch.


Our Correspondent April 22, 2017
Say background checks of employees must be conducted by Special Branch. PHOTO: FACEBOOK PAGE

LAHORE: The Punjab University faculty expressed serious concerns over the security of teachers, especially those living at the residential colony. They demanded a complete overhaul of the security system and additional measures such as background checks of employees by the Special Branch.

These demands were made during a condolence reference held by the Punjab University Academic Staff Association (ASA) at the Institute of Chemistry. Faculty members paid tribute to Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (MMG) retired assistant professor Tahira Malik. She was found murdered in her home at the residential colony of the Punjab University.

The suspect apprehended in this case a varsity employee working at the Engineering Branch.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, ASA President Javed Sami said the association would demand that the PU administration have all employees screened. He added that the recent incident had shattered the confidence of the teachers’ community and ASA would demand the vice chancellor conduct background checks through the Special Branch. He said the faculty would also ask for a verification drive of all employees living in the housing society.

Javed said the administration should check whether actual faculty members live in the houses or if the properties were rented out.

“The ASA will ask for guards to be deployed near the living area of teachers and at all roundabouts, while CCTV cameras should also be installed in the surroundings of the housing colony,” he said.

Dr Sami said Engineering Branch employees routinely worked at residences of faculty members and the ASA would ask the VC to adopt SOPs for their deployment. “We will demand that any time some work needs to be carried out, a university security guard should also accompany the assigned individual,” he stated.

Dr Sami said these demands would be forwarded to the vice chancellor in the coming weeks.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2017.

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