Empty security bunkers at Pakistan educational institutes raise questions

Islamabad, Feb 9: Hundreds of unattended and unguarded bunkers outside educational institutions in the city of Lahore in Pakistan are more like a security threat instead of affording security to students, a media reported on Monday.

Educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, have piled up sand-filled sacks in the form of bunkers outside their entry gates with the objective of using them as security against any terrorist activity, Daily Times reported.

Unfortunately, most of the educational institutions have left these bunkers unattended, with no armed guards inside the sand traps, while leaving them at the risk of being occupied by any armed person.

The bunkers have been erected after the Dec 16 Tehreek-e-Taliban attack on the Army Public School, Peshawar, that left more than 140 students and staff dead.

The government closed educational institutions by extending the winter/Christmas vacation for more than two weeks for the first time in the history of the country as the objective was to devise a security strategy and to give a strong message to terrorists by taking tough measures.

After a number of meetings with security experts and other stakeholders, the government made it compulsory for all schools, colleges, and universities to ensure security barriers, body search as well as construction of bunkers outside main gates.

Now all educational institutions have erected bunkers, but vigilant armed guards are missing inside these bunkers -- placing a question mark on the efficacy of the security measures.

IANS