KP Government Orders Safety Inspections of All Schools After Peshawar Tragedy

What happened

• A roof collapse at Al-Khair Education System in the Dir Colony area of Peshawar killed at least 30 children and a teacher, with 51 others injured [1, 2].
• The provincial government has ordered the Communication and Works (C&W) Department to form technical teams to inspect all government school buildings for structural defects [2].
• The Special Branch has been assigned to inspect 12,503 registered private schools across the province [1].
• A two-member committee led by the transport secretary must submit findings within seven days [1].
• The C&W Department must submit district-wise inspection reports by noon on 26 October [2].
• Police have taken the school owner into custody and plan to register a case [2].

Following a fatal incident in Peshawar’s Dir Colony, where a classroom roof collapsed in a three-storey building, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has initiated province-wide safety assessments. According to Lady Reading Hospital, 33 bodies, including 32 children and a teacher, were brought to the facility, while Naseerullah Babar Memorial Hospital received two children’s bodies [2]. Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed stated the school owner was taken into custody and noted the roof was poorly constructed [2].

For government institutions, the Elementary and Secondary Education Department directed the C&W Department to nominate technical teams in every district [2]. These teams will inspect roofs, ceilings, walls, beams, foundations, and staircases to classify buildings as safe, requiring repairs, or potentially unsafe [2]. The C&W Department is required to submit reports by noon on 26 October [2].

Regarding private institutions, the Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) has 12,503 registered schools in the province [1]. Peshawar has 1,806, Swat has 1,130, and Mansehra has 977 [1]. The Special Branch will conduct inspections of these buildings [1]. The Chief Secretary’s Office raised concerns regarding the PSRA handling both registration and investigations, leading to the formation of an independent two-member committee led by the transport secretary, which is due to report within seven days [1]. Additionally, a police committee led by a senior superintendent of police has been established [1].

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi alleged that previous amendments removed the authority’s power to take action and stated officials involved in those changes could face action [1]. Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed said investigators will examine if education officials contributed to the incident or if registration followed legal requirements [1].