Rawalpindi orders safety audits for 8,300 schools following Peshawar tragedy

What happened

Following a roof collapse at a private school in Peshawar, the Rawalpindi district administration has ordered safety audits for 8,300 schools [1]. District Education Authority CEO Yaseen Khan Baloch stated that inspection teams began work on Sunday to assess 7,000 private schools and 1,300 public-sector schools [1]. The teams are tasked with reviewing structural stability, identifying dangerous buildings, and checking fire-safety measures, emergency preparedness, and security arrangements [1]. Inspections are being conducted daily from 8am to 8pm, with reports due by October 20 [1].

Assistant commissioners from City, Cantonment, Saddar, Kallar Syedan, Kahuta, Taxila, and Gujar Khan are supervising the building and fire-safety audits [1]. The inspection teams include representatives from the District Education Authority, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, and local government bodies [1, 2].

The All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA) has requested the deputy commissioner of Rawalpindi to revise the inspection schedule [1, 2]. APPSMA leaders, including Central Senior Vice President Muhammad Furqan Chaudhry and North Punjab President Abrar Ahmed Khan, expressed concern over the notification [1]. They argued that short-notice audits create administrative challenges because technical inspections, expert consultations, and structural modifications require significant time [1, 2]. The association requested prior notice regarding audit standards, documentation requirements, and inspection procedures [2]. They also requested that private school representatives be included in the inspection committees [2].

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Elementary and Secondary Education Department has issued a directive to ensure school building safety [3]. The department will conduct a first-phase survey of high-risk schools identified through media reports and other sources [3]. The department has ordered that teaching must be suspended immediately in any building declared unsafe, and students must be relocated to nearby schools or safe locations [3]. Classes may only resume after repairs are finished and a technical authority certifies the building as safe [3]. All districts must submit comprehensive reports to the department by 12 noon on October 21, 2026 [3].

Who is affected

• 8,300 schools in Rawalpindi, consisting of 7,000 private and 1,300 public-sector institutions [1].
• Students and staff in schools identified as high-risk in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [3].
• Assistant commissioners in City, Cantonment, Saddar, Kallar Syedan, Kahuta, Taxila, and Gujar Khan [1].
• The All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA) [1, 2].