81 schools in Sindh face serious security risks, SHC told

Around 81 schools across the province were reported to not have adequate security making them highly sensitive to a terrorist attack, maintained a report submitted in the Sindh High Court (SHC) by additional advocate general, on Tuesday.

The information was shared with the court during the hearing of a petition, filed by Piler (Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research) in January 2015, seeking directives for provincial authorities to ensure educational institutes were provided with security. The petition was filed in the aftermath of the December 16, 2014 APS Peshawar attack that claimed lives of over 130 children as well as teachers.

AAG Ghulam Mustafa Mahesar submitted in the SHC that around 81 schools across the province lacked security and were susceptible to an attack.

The report stated that a summary with respect to raising funds for walls to be built around the school buildings was sent to the chief minister.

The report added that the funds were being sought outside the budgetary allocations made for the fiscal year 2016-17. Besides sensitive schools, security walls would also be built around schools which face less security threats, the report maintained.

Taking the report on record, the court directed the law officer to submit a progress report with regard to the summary in question and construction of security walls. 

In a previous hearing the government had brought to the SHC’s notice a decision taken by a technical committee of the planning and development department that the education department should prepare projects in the first phase for areas declared sensitive by the home department. 

The education department had sent a PC-I for security, building and raising the compound walls of 8,417 schools across the province at an estimated cost of Rs7636.09 million, according to a compliance report submitted to the high court by the additional education secretary. 

For ensuring security for private schools, the additional secretary said instructions had also been issued to all heads of private institutions containing special security measures to face any untoward situation in schools and colleges.