At stake: Govt must review security at schools

Petitioner asks notification on reopening of schools to be declared null and void.

LAHORE: Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the government on Thursday to review security arrangements at educational institutions province-wide and submit a report covering all aspects of standard operating procedures (SOPs) adopted in the wake of the Peshawar carnage to the court.

Judge Shah said this was a national issue as lives of schoolchildren were at stake and their parents were worried about their safety.

He said it was heartening to note that students were going to schools despite security threats. Judge Shah said the government should have completed security arrangements at schools before they had reopened for the current academic session.

Advocate Zain Sikander, the petitioner, said a notification regarding the opening of schools should be declared null and void due to the absence of foolproof security arrangements. “Parents should be kept in the loop regarding the implementation of SOPs and a report be submitted to the court in this regard,” he said. The court ordered the respondents in the petition to appear before the court personally due to the pressing nature of the matter after hearing the petitioner at some length.

The court resumed hearing of the petition after the Home Department Special Secretary Syed Wajahat Hamdani, Schools Secretary Muhammad Gulzar and CCPO Amin Wains appeared before the court.

Special Secretary Wajahat Hamdani said schools had been classified according to their level of vulnerability. He said they had prioritised securing of the schools thought to be most vulnerable.

Secretary Gulzar said progress was being monitored by secretaries and a report in this regard was being sent to the chief minister daily. Gulzar said security at sensitive schools has been beefed up and special branch officials have also been deployed there.

CCPO Wains said the issue has been prioritised and efforts to update security paraphernalia were underway.

The court announced to hold hearings in camera due to the sensitive nature of the matter and adjourned proceedings till January 19.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2015.