Schools security measures implementation

Schools in lahore still lack adequate security measures
Lahore, Dec 14: Despite ever-increasing threats of terror attacks across the city, a majority of educational institutions in Lahore have failed to implement state-of-the-art security measures to guard school and college premises.

Students and parents said security measures enforced by most of the institutions were "cosmetic" efforts and inadequate to counter potential terrorist attacks.

They said a number of institutes had even failed to comply with basic security instructions by the government.

Executive District Officer (Education) Dr Muhammad Arshad said the department had framed a revised security plan for schools operating in the city and administrations had been forwarded the new instructions.

On the other hand, teachers and students criticised the claims of the Punjab government, saying educational institutes were relying on good fortune only.

It has been learnt that most of the institutions in Lahore did not meet the criteria, and after the twin blasts in Moon Market, parents, students and teachers are worried over their security.

Among those lacking necessary security arrangements are the Punjab University old campus, National College of Arts and GCU Lahore, with only see through metal fences along their perimeters guarding the premises.

A student at NCA said his college, GCU and PU old campus were easy targets for terrorists because the students remained unprotected in the absence of concrete boundary walls

Similarly, Kinnaird College, Lahore College and APWA College on Jail Road have also taken minimal security measures, with private vehicles and rickshaws still parked along their outside walls.

Besides, the institutions have no appropriately trained security guards to check the people entering the premises of these colleges.

An LCWU teacher said it was difficult to imagine an unarmed and untrained guard warding off terrorists attacking with high tech weapons.

The security situation is worst at public schools and teachers said the government had not taken any measure to secure its own schools.

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BRP launched student wing
Lahore: The Baloch Republican Party (BRP) has activated its students' wing in Punjab, Sindh and the NWFP to provide a platform for raising the voice for the rights of the Baloch population in the provinces.

Party sources informed on Sunday that the BRP had changed its strategy in order to make the government address its demands, and would now also work outside Balochistan.

They said the BRP had decided to expand its network in all provinces, especially Punjab, and a students' wing had been activated to initiate the struggle. The BRP sources said they had directed Baloch students across the country to take to the streets to seek the fulfilment of their demands. The students' union has been named Baloch Students Organisation-Azad (BSO-Azad) and has started working in Lahore.

The BSO Azad's Lahore chapter held a demonstration to press for its demands outside the Lahore Press Club a few days ago. The protest was led by BSO-Azad Lahore President Saeed Baloch and Noor Ahmed Baloch, both students of the Punjab University.

Saeed rejected the government's Aaghaze Huqooqe Balochistan Package, saying the law enforcement authorities had arrested 20 Baloch students after the announcement of the reforms package. He said besides the recently arrested students, more than 200 Baloch students were already in official custody. Daily times

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Primary school await upgrade for six years
Lahore: The lethargic attitude of officials and lack of coordination among departments are the biggest challenges the government faces in implementation of its policies.

One such victim of the sluggishness attitude and absence of coordination among departments is a girls' primary school in a village of newly-established district Chiniot in Punjab. The upgrade of the village primary school to middle school could not be completed in six long years despite the tall claims of promoting education by successive provincial governments.

The plight of the school could not attract attention of those sitting at the helm of affairs despite a comprehensive report in this regard earlier. The former Punjab chief minister had approved upgrade of the primary girls' school to middle level in Wara, Thatha Muhammad Shah, tehsil Chiniot, district Jhang, on April 11, 2003. However, the construction of the building for the middle school could not be started until 2006. When the construction work began, it was supposed to be completed in seven months. But, it could not be completed till today despite the passage of three long years.

After Chiniot was made a district, Wara village fell in the new district. The locals said the problem aggravated after the new district was announced, adding that the delay in completion of the project was beyond their expectations. One can imagine the problems being faced by the locals.

A number of the villagers said their young daughters had to go to far away places for education after passing primary classes from the village school. They complained that the building of the school was almost complete but the work was stopped without giving final touches.

Over Rs 5 million had been so far spent on the building that was lying unutilised because the construction was stopped at the last phase, they added. Academic circles are of the view that the government should take a strict notice of the situation as on the one hand, people of the area are being denied the right to education while on the other hand, huge financial resources spent on the school's building are not being utilised in true spirit.

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Results of CM's essay writing contests announced
Lahore: The results of Chief Minister's Essay Writing Competitions of Lahore division have been announced. According to a handout on Sunday, 210 boys and girls from primary to postgraduate level took parts in the contests from four districts of Lahore division, namely Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib and Lahore.

In primary level Urdu essay writing competition, among boys, Muhammad Jasim Ali Khan of the Millat Public School, Mananwala, Sheikhupura, Muhammad Nasir Sardar of the Allama Iqbal Public School, Kasur, and Javed Iqbal Qamar of the Govt Elementary School, Pamar Uttar, Kasur, got first, second and third positions respectively.

Among girls, Saba Khalil of the Allama Iqbal Public Girls High School, Kasur, stood first, Sara Akbar second and Amna Nazar secured third position.In middle level Urdu essay writing contest, Muhammad Rizwan of the Govt High School, Shahdara, Muhammad Haris of the Punjab Public Model School, Safdarabad, and Usama Qamar of the Hussain Khan Wala Chak-8, Kasur, obtained first, second and third positions respectively.

Among girls, Farzana Hafeez of the Govt Girls Model High School, Model Town, Lahore, Faiza Rashid of the Allama Iqbal Public Girls High School, Kasur, and Ayesha Sehar of the Govt Millat Girls High School, Mughalpura, Lahore, secured first, second and third positions respectively.

In middle level English essay writing competition, among boys, Muhammad Awais Khalid of The Learning School, Kot Radha Kishan, Muhammad Waqar of the Pak Garrison HSS, Nankana Sahib, and Hamza Shabir of the Saeed Public School, Sharqpur, achieved first, second and third positions respectively.

While among the girls, Anam Aslam of the Qazi Grammar School, Lahore, stoodfirst, Bakhtawar Aslam of the Govt Comprehensive High School, Wahdat Road, Lahore, second and Maria Aslam of the Zeenat Muslim Model School, Sheikhupura, stood third.

In secondary level Urdu essay writing competition, among boys, Hafiz Hamza Rehman of the Govt Muslim High School, Civil Lines, Lahore, secured first position, Muhammad Rehan Riaz of the Society Public School, Mughalpura, second and Ijaz Ahmad of the Govt Guru Nanak High School, Nankana Sahib, got third position.

Among girls, Sidra Javed of the MC Model Girls HSS, Panwan, Sana Mehmood of the Pak Garrison HSS, Nankana Sahib and Urwa-tul-Wusqa got first, second and third positions respectively.

In secondary level English essay writing competition, Sh Aftab Ahmad of the Paragon H/S, Pattoki, Rafiullah of the Aligarh Public School and College, Manga, and Ibtasam Umar of the First Nation School, Pattoki, got first, second and third positions respectively.

Among girls, Maryam Farooqi of the The Punjab School, Lahore, Hina Fatima of the Govt Girls High School, Karak, and Rubina Zenab of the Learning School, Kot Radha Kishan, obtained first, second and third positions respectively.

In intermediate level Urdu essay writing competition, Muhammad Fahmeedul Maqsood of the Oxford Degree College, Sheikhupura, stood first, Muhammad Mufeezur Rehman of the Govt Postgraduate College, Sheikhupura, second and Hafiz Muaz of the Punjab College of Commerce, Muslim Town, Lahore, came third.

Among girls, Zunera Mushtaq of the Pak Garrison Higher Secondary School, Nankana Sahib, Anam Mushtaq of the Govt College for Women, Chunian, and Umme Hani of the Govt Postgraduate Girls College, Sheikhupura, obtained first, second and third positions respectively.

In intermediate level English essay writing competition, Muhammad Usman of the Pak Garrison Higher Secondary School, Nankana Sahib, Ahsan Ali of the Govt College of Science, Wahdat Road, Lahore, and Ammar Yousaf of the Postgraduate Boys College, Sheikhupura, got first, second and third positions respectively.

While among girls, Maham Javed of the Punjab College, Muslim Town, Lahore, Ayesha Zafar of the Fauji Foundation HSS, Sangla Hill and Saba Khan of the Govt College for Women, Kasur, obtained first, second and third positions respectively.

In degree level Urdu essay writing competition, Safdar Ali Kazmi of the Govt Islamia College, Civil Lines, Najam Nawaz of the UET and Muhammad Akram of the Govt Islamia College, Kasur, secured first, second and third positions respectively. Among girl, Meher-un-Nisa of the Govt Degree College Shahkot, Sana Younis of the Govt Girls College, Sheikhupura, and Sidra Ansar of the Govt College for Women, Pattoki, obtained first, second and third positions respectively.

In degree level English essay writing competition, Muhammad Adeel of the FC College University, Abu Bakar of the Govt Degree College, Pattoki, and Asif Ali of the Govt Islamia College, Kasur, achieved first, second and third positions respectively.

Among girls, Syeda Sukina Hussain of the Govt College, Gulberg, stood first, Zarnish Hussain of the Govt Girls College, Sheikhupura, second and Fariha Naz, of the Govt Girls College, Pattoki, came third.

In postgraduate level Urdu essay writing competition, Shahid Bilal of the Oriental College, Punjab University, Lahore, Muhammad Ammad Bin Ramzan of the University College of Pharmacy, Lahore, and Muhammad Farid Azhar obtained first, second and third positions respectively.

Whereas in English essay writing competition, Masooma Bashir of the Institute of Administrative Sciences, PU, Lahore, Syed Nishat-ul-Hassan of the University Law College, PU, Lahore, Sadia Usman of the Department of Micro Biology, PU, Lahore got first, second and third positions respectively.

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Sports vital to students
Lahore: Minister for Education Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman has said that sports and co-curricular activities play a vital role in development of mental and physical health of students, said a press release.

The minister was speaking at the annual Sports Day of Ali Institute of Education's Kids Campus on Sunday.

He said keeping in view the significance of sports, the Education Department had initiated Chief Minister Punjab Sports, Speech and Essay writing programmes throughout the province in which prizes amounting to Rs 17 crore will be distributed from federal to provincial level.

Former Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed and Chairman Chief Minister's Task Force on IT Nadeem ul Haq also attended the function. The minister said the Punjab government had given top priority to the improvement of education sector and promotion of quality education and all resources were being made available for this purpose.

He said in order to promote latest knowledge in the country we will have to make information technology our top priority.

He said the project to set up computer labs in over 4,000 schools was a milestone achievement of the Punjab government in the development of education sector.

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Shortage of doctors
Lahore: Pakistan Medical and Dental Council President Dr Sibt-ul-Hasnain has said on Sunday Pakistan is facing an acute shortage of doctors and steps must be taken to train new doctors.

The PMDC president was speaking at a ceremony to administer oath to first-year MBBS students held at Central Park Medical College on Sunday. Renowned physician and former principal of KEMC, Prof Dr Khawaja Sadiq Hussain, was the chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion as the guest of honour, Dr Sibt-ul-Hasnain said Pakistan needed more than five million doctors and steps must be taken to train new doctors. He urged women doctors to continue practice after marriage.

CPMC Dean Prof A S Chughtai said patients' wellbeing was doctor' prime responsibility and doctors must not show negligence in duty. Dr A T Naqvi briefed the participants on the college performance. Later, Dr Sadiq administered oath to students. Former Chief Secretary Javed Qureshi, Dr Asif Naqvi and the associate director of Hull York Medical University, UK, also spoke.

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MAO College welcome party
Lahore: Senior students of the Govt MAO College Mass Communication Department have organised a welcome party for new students of the department.

According to a press release on Sunday, students participated in various programmes, including a talk show. Mazs Communication Department Chairman Prof Awais Bajwa was also present. The news

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