RAWALPINDI: A fresh security audit of 5,083 educational institutions across Punjab, including 476 in the Rawalpindi region, has found more flaws in their security arrangements compared to those pointed out in May this year.

According to intelligence agencies, the threat of terrorist attacks on educational institutions in Punjab still existed and there was a need for immediate remedial measures to ensure the safety of students, staf f and visitors.

The standard operadng procedure (SOP) for the foolproof security of educational institutions already issued by the home department was not being followed by the district administrations and law enforcement agencies.The provincial government had launched an exercise to tighten security measures in the educational institutions in the wake of the terrorist attack on the Army Public School Peshawar in Dec 2014.

The Special Branch had carried out a security audit of educational institutions in May this year and another such exercise was done in August before the educationalinstitutionsreopened after summer vacations.

Of the 5,083 educational institutions categorised as `A`, 475 were in Rawalpindi region, 1,028 in Gujranwala, 468 in Sheikhupura, 129 in Lahore, 491 in Faisalabad, 458 in Sargodha, 415 in Sahiwal, 713 in Multan, 451 in D.G. Khan and 454 in Bahawalpur.

The fresh survey found 78pc of the institutions without night vision CCTV cameras while none of the 476 institutions in Rawalpindi had such a security gadget.

Of the 476 institutions in Rawalpindi, vetting by the Special Branch has not been done in 156 institutions. There were no CCTV cameras in 16 institutions, no walk-through gates in 320 and scanners were not being used in any of the institutions. As many as 185 institutions had no concrete barriers and 121 were withoutbunkers.

There were also no armed security guards in 27 institutions and no rooftop duty at 100 schools and colleges. Besides, no sniper was deployed in 376 institutions. Panic buttons were still not installed in 22 institutions while vetting of labourers was not carried out in 245 institutions.

The audit report said 226 institutions had not engaged trained security guards and aged security guards were deployed in 19 institutes. Besides, 10 institutions were without any security guard.

And the weapons of 36 security guards, including 10 in Rawalpindi, were found nonfunctional.

The fresh survey also showed that the deployment of trained security staff had dropped to 810 from 1,525 and unavailability of CCTV cameras increased f rom 23 to 172. The deficiency in search and sweeping of vehicles also increased.

Walk-through gates have not been installed in 91pc institutions across Punjab with the maximum numbers of such institutions located in the Gujranwala region. Metal detectors were not available in 20 institutions while 483 (98pc)institutions were without scanners.

Mock exercises were not conducted in 1286 institutions while contingency planwas not prepared in 86 institutions.

Wireless communication is not available in 70pc of the institutions while 722 institutions were without the public address system.

Police patrolling was not carried out in 200 institutions. `Panic buttons have not been installed in 385 institutions, vetting of labourers working in the institutions not carried out by 1,630 institutions and regular combing operations in and outside 1,405 institutions was not carried out.

Deficiencies in six parameters of the security were seen compared to the previous survey carried out in May 2017.

A senior police official said: `The only way to safeguarding the young generation from being drawn towards terrorism or extremism is to involve them in sports activities.

He said due to a lack of sports activities, the youth, especially students, were unable to utlilise their energy. This will definitely force them towards negative activities.

He suggested that leaders of the educational institutions should be trained to identify children who are at risk and offer prizes and other incentives to attract students towards sports activities rather than asking them only to concentrate on books.