CHARSADDA: The Bacha Khan University in Charsadda reopened on Monday amid tight security after the closure of four days due to a terrorist attack, which claimed 21 lives.

However, the administration later announced the university would remain closed from today (Tuesday) for indefinite period for security reasons.

Vice-Chancellor Fazal Rahim Marwat, professors, staff members and students reached the university on Monday morning to participate in Quran Khwani and peace rally.

A condolence meeting was held in the university’s main auditorium, where Quran Khwani and collective prayers were organised for the 21 people, who died in the attack, including a professor, students, staff members and guards.

VC says campus will stay closed until foolproof security is provided

Later, the participants attended a peace rally, which began at the campus and ended at Farooq-i-Azam Chowk in Charsadda Bazaar, where students delivered angry speeches.

Stringent security measures were taken for the event.

The police personnel and guards were deployed at various points in and outside the university.

The VC told reporters that the university’s administration didn’t receive any threat to the campus.

He praised the campus guards saying their heroic action had averted the bloodshed on a large scale.

“Our campus guards engaged terrorists until the police and security forces moved in under the thick fog to eliminate them (terrorists),” he said.

The VC said the university would remain closed until foolproof security was provided to it.

Saeed Khalil, a spokesman for the BKU, said the university would remain closed for indefinite period.

He said the decision was made during a high-level meeting.

The spokesman said the university was again closed at the request and reservations of parents, foggy weather and ongoing repairing and cleanliness work.

He said a decision about the reopening of the campus would be made next week.

According to it, participants of Monday’s high-level meeting demanded that the federal and provincial governments and Higher Education Commission provide security staff to the university, equip guards with the modern weapons, appoint a retired colonel or major of the Pakistan Army as security officer, offer free arms licences to staff members, increase the height of boundary wall to 100 feet, and ban the cultivation of sugarcane crops within 200 yards radius of the campus.

They also demanded construction of watch towers on the boundary wall after every 100 yards, installation of floodlights, latest CCTV cameras and optical fiber on campus, and provision of a fire tender, ambulance, walkie-talkie sets and walkthrough gates to the university.

The participants also called for the construction of a single-way road from Nesata to Sardheri to have access to Charsadda Motorway exchange.

Meanwhile, students Shah Faisal, Qabil Shah, Mohammad Idrees and Mehran Ali told Dawn that they were in high spirits and that they won’t be cowed by coward acts of terrorists.

They said they would continue their studies at the university to frustrate the ‘nefarious designs of enemies’.

The students demanded restoration of the NCC training programme in educational institutions to help students protect themselves in case of terrorist attacks.

They said the students knew that there would be no class on Monday, but they showed up just to show the terrorists that they (students) would ready to defeat them.

The students said they fought terrorist during the attack and would continue doing so.

Also in the day, actress Veena Malik visited the BKU and met the VC, staff members and students.

Accompanied by husband Asad Khattak and son, she visited the student hostel and other sections of the university targeted by terrorists.

The actress condemned the attack on the university and killing of innocent students and staff members and said the entire nation was with them in this moment to share their unbearable grief.

“We should show courage and bravery and stay united to combat terrorism,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2016