Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Untrained, unequipped and limited security staff posing a serious threat for the students studying in the two biggest universities of the federal capital as Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad is still working without boundary wall whereas International Islamic University is dependent on outsourced security personnel.

After the brutal attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, the concerned quarters once again raised their concerns over the poor security arrangements for the universities of federal capital. The Daily Times learnt that there is no special security arrangement for the safety of the students in the two major universities of capital rather than ordinary checking at their entry points.

The International Islamic University that was targeted by two suicide bombers on the same day back in 2009 is facing similar situation without any big change. After that attack the administration announced to make fool proof security arrangements for its premises to avoid such unfortunate incident in future. An insider on the condition of anonymity briefed the Daily Times that security wing of the university is having untrained and unequipped security staff as most of the security guards are untrained and unequipped. A security guard of the university talking to the Daily Times told; “Initally, only few guards had the guns and if they are still having then these are 12-bore guns which cannot be used to counter the terrorists in case of any assault as it was noticed that terrorists attacked with automatic weapons both in the case of APS Peshawar and Bach Khan University Charsadda.”

The sources also highlighted that a considerable number of security staff is appointed for the protocol duty of the university President Dr Ahmad Yousaf A Al-Draiweesh who is a Saudi national and this duty is an extra burden on security cell of the university. Sources revealed that university is depending on the outsourced security personnel that was engaged by the university after the attack on APS Peshawar last year. “Although the university has constructed boundary wall but it is not completed yet and anyone can easily reach inside the university without any resistance, a student has told the Daily Times.

Responding on the security issues, university’s Chief Security Officer Commander (r) Aftab Ahmed has told the Daily Times that there are some issues regarding security but we are trying hard to overcome the problems. He accepted that there are many soft points to get access in the university premises but administration has formed a committee to make sure for formulating suitable security arrangements. He blamed CDA for delay in the completion of boundary wall and said that CDA has restricted them not to construct boundary wall alongside Kashmir Highway.

On the other hand, the students of Quaid-e-Azam University demanded to build the boundary wall on prompt bases by considering it as a major loophole for their security. While talking to the Daily Times the students told, “We are totally unsafe and unsecured in the absence of boundary wall as any terrorist can reach easily even in the class rooms without any resistance by the security staff. They demanded the government and other relevant authorities to construct the boundary wall on prompt bases as well as to revamp the security section of the university. Responding on the issue Dr Waseem Ahmed told the Daily Times that we had initiated the construction work on boundary wall and completed one section of the wall but it was stopped due to the intervention of CDA who forced us to stop the construction work. He further said that in present law and order situation of the country and serious threats to the educational institutions, the CDA would be the responsible in case of any unfortunate incident. CDA Spokesperson Ramzan Sajid has rejected the claims made by the administrations of both universities that CDA has bared them to construct. He declared it as a move for shifting the responsibility on others shoulders adding, “We never restrict anyone to do anything which is according to rules and regulation but we will take action if any institution will exceed from its boundaries.”