PESHAWAR - Keeping in view yesterday’s terrorist attack on Bacha Khan University, Charsadda, administrations of public-sector universities of district Charsadda, Mardan and Swabi shut their academic activities for indefinite period.
Rest of the public and private sector universities tightened up security measures to avoid any such terrorist assault. The district administration of Charsadda announced closure of all public and private educational institutions across the district till January 31.
The administration of Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, University of Swabi and Bacha Khan University, Charsadda, announced closure of the institutes. The administration of the greater campus consists of four full-fledged universities and several adjacent colleges, including Khyber Medical Collage (KMC), Law College, Forestry College, University of Peshawar, University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar, Islamia College Chartered University and Agriculture University shut down all entry gates except main gates for vehicular movement and tightened security measures.
It is pertinent to mention that Peshawar, especially Cantt circle, was in the grip of rumours of terrorist attack on a school amid the Pak Army personnel’s rehearsal to rescue students and teaching staff in the Cantt area.
A rumour also spread that terrorists had entered a school in the Cantt area like the attack on the Peshawar Army Public School last year, which caused severe fear and panic among the parents.
Most of public and privately run schools in Cantonment and city areas were closed as parents of students forced the respective schools to let their children stay at home.
Tuesday’s suicide attack on a Khasadar Force check post at the main entrance of Peshawar from the adjacent tribal agency also sparked fear and panic among the terrorism-hit people of the city.
Meanwhile, an emergency meeting convened by the public sector university teachers’ associations condemned the terrorist attack on Bacha Khan University, Charsadda, and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families of the martyrs and injured.
The meeting was held in the office of Peshawar University Teachers’ Association with PUTA President Dr Jamil Ahmad Chitrali in the chair, which was attended by Dr Iqbal, M Farooq, Dr Humayun, Agriculture University Teachers’ Association President Dr Sartaj Khan, General Secretary Salahuddin, vice president, Teaching Staff Association, Islamia College University, Peshawar, Awal Said, General Secretary Dr Abdul Shakoor and Engineering University Teachers’ Association President Dr.Shahid Maqsood.
They prayed for the departed souls of the martyred teachers, students and other staff and pledged to defeat the terrorists’ nefarious designs. They also said they were against the closure of the universities and other educational institutions because this was not a durable solution to the problem.
The teaching community opposed the closure of the universities, saying it would encourage coward terrorists. “These terrorists are afraid of the power of pen and book, so they want to push us back to the dark ages. Education is the only panacea to all ills and the only way to eradicate terrorism and extremism. We have to keep our educational institutions open to defeat terrorism,” the teaching community held.
The representatives of the respective associations also demanded of the government to announce a reasonable compensation package for the bereaved families of the martyrs and injured, besides ensuring the best possible medical treatment to the injured.
They expressed concern over the poor security situation of the campuses and demanded proper security, urging the KP IGP to ensure the presence of all the policemen deputed at the campuses. They also warned the police would be held responsible if any untoward incident happened.
The vice chancellors of the all the universities were requested to take strict notice of the outsiders residing in various hostels of the universities and ban entry of irrelevant vehicles and unknown persons into the campuses by devising a proper mechanism of pick-and-drop of the students.
It was also decided to convene a meeting of the Federation of All Public Sector Universities’ Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA) in the wake of the Bacha Khan University attack in order to devise a mechanism for the security of the universities across the country.