Panic grips Isakhel after suspects film colleges

MIANWALI: Panic gripped Isakhel town after two boys in the garb of PTCL officials snapped and filmed various portions of government degree colleges for boys and girls, respectively, on Thursday.

Two youngsters on a silver colour car reached Govt Degree College for Boys at around 2:30pm. Speaking in a Pushto dialect, they inquired about the principal from the security guard.

They were taken to the principal’s office where they introduced themselves as PTCL officials conducting a survey to install high-speed internet and multimedia services in colleges.

One of the visitors engaged the principal in conversation about the area already provided with internet facility while the other guy went out and took snaps and video shots of every nook and corner of the college. Later, they went to the girls’ college and repeated the same exercise.

In the meantime, the principal informed his staff about the PTCL survey. When they raised certain doubts, the principal decided to confirm the activity from local PTCL office.

The principal was shocked to hear from the PTCL officials that their department had not launched any such survey.

The principal informed the colleges district officer who advised him to contact the police in view of prevailing security situation.

It is worth mentioning here that nowadays exams are in progress in these colleges besides a large number of aspirants for their recruitment as educators visit these premises daily. Isakhel is located on the frontier of NWFP and Punjab and presence of Taliban in the surrounding areas is a constant threat to the local population.

Isakhel SHO Ahmed Abbas Khan said that they had increased the security around colleges and schools after the principal had informed them about the doubtful activity besides instructing the institutions’ heads to keep a check on suspects entering the premises.

He also urged the heads of educational institutions to allow visitors only after verifying their national identity cards and recording their brief bio-data in a register.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/30/2009