RAWALPINDI: Those private and public-sector educational institutions that have failed to install the security measures recommended by the district administrations of Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum are facing the possibility of closure.

After fresh threats of terrorist attacks, the provincial government had called for security measures to ensure the safety of schoolchildren and staff. However, most of the institutes have yet to comply with the directives.

A meeting chaired by Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed at the commissioner`s office was informed that intelligence agencies had reports of possible terrorist attacks on other educational institutions on the anniversary of the attack on Army Public School, Peshawar, on December 16.

The meeting was told that these institutions were not adopting the security measures despite being issued the standard operating procedures, which includes the construction of eight feet high boundary walls, barbed wires, walk through gates, metal detectors, CCTV cameras, deploying armed guards and checking all visitors.

The commissioner then reviewed security arrangements in the four districts through a video link and called for the formation of security audit teams in all four districts to check on the security arrangements in the institutions and to report on them within two days.

`We don`t have any other option but to close down those institutions that have not put the security measures in place yet. The government has been issuing directives to these institutes for a year now and no negligence will be tolerated in this regard,` the commissioner warned.

A total of 21 teams have been formed in the Rawalpindi district. They include officials from the local administration, education department, local police and intelligence agencies. Some 15 teams will prepare a report on the educational institutes in the garrison city.

A total of 241 educational institutions have been declared `highly sensitive`, including 73 government-run schools in Rawalpindi, 27 in Attock, 39 in Jhelum and 21 in Chakwal. It was advised that extra security measures should be put in place at these institutions.

The Regional Police Officer Fakhar Sultan Raja informed the meeting that the police had trained many security guards that were deployed at both public and private sector educational institutions.

He said that the local police of all four districts had drafted comprehensive security plans and had started patrolling adjoining areas as well. A Reporter