Varsities, colleges increase safety

LAHORE:

Punjab’s major universities have deployed security personnel on and around their premises as the institutions reopen on Monday after suspending academic activities for three days due to student protests.

The government and private colleges will also reopen amid police arrangements to curb the protests.

However, the Lahore College of Women University (LCWU) will remain closed for another day.

According to sources, the government and private universities and colleges have been ordered to take strict security measures to stop the protests.

Following the instructions, major universities, especially those in Lahore, have tightened security on and around their campuses.

The security officials of the institutions have been instructed to remain prepared to face any untoward situation.

The sources said the decision to keep closed the LCWU, where an alleged incident of intimidation had sparked protests, was taken in view of reports of a planned demonstration on Jail Road.

The Punjab government had last week announced holidays in educational institutions across the province after some violent incidents took place during protests in several cities.

All Boards of Secondary and Secondary Education (BISE) and universities in the province had also canceled their scheduled examinations, the new dates of which will be announced after observing the situation following the reopening of the institutions.

Students from various universities in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Chakwal and other cities had protested against allegations of rape of a girl student in the provincial capital.

A number of students were injured in several cities and a security guard was reportedly killed in Gujrat during the protests.

The boards of universities and colleges have revised safety arrangements on the eve of the resumption of classes.

“Security has been tightened at the Punjab University and around its hostels. No student would be allowed to enter the premises without an identity card, while the entry of all other people would be prohibited,” a PU security official told The Express Tribune.

The official said the university administration would remain in touch with officials of the concerned police stations and their help would be sought in case of any protest.

The earlier protests had erupted amid unrest among students over allegations of harassment at a private university, LCWU and PU.

A girl student from Sialkot district allegedly committed suicide in a PU hostel last week. A complaint of harassment of a female student has also surfaced from a campus of Bahawalpur’s Islamia University.

An LCWU spokesperson said the university would be closed to students while administrative staff continued to do their work.

The colleges in the provincial capital have also tightened security measures and instructed their students to carry their identity cards.

Meanwhile, police have made several arrests as part of the crackdown on students and other elements suspected of being involved in violence during last week’s protests.