What needs to change
If the announced inspections remain a paper exercise, further tragedies are likely. A multi‑pronged approach is required:
Independent engineering audits – Every school, public or private, should submit certified structural reports to an autonomous body such as the Pakistan Engineering Council, with strict penalties for falsification.
Public transparency portal – A real‑time online dashboard listing schools that have passed safety checks, those pending inspection and those under investigation would empower citizens to make informed choices.
Victim compensation fund – A provincial fund financed by a modest levy on private‑school tuition could ensure that every affected family receives cash assistance calibrated to the child’s projected lifetime earnings.
Community monitoring committees – Parent‑teacher associations should be granted legal authority to demand immediate closure of any school showing signs of structural distress, backed by police protection against intimidation.
Legislative overhaul – Amend the 2017 law to mandate inspections every six months, impose strict liability on owners who ignore engineering warnings, and introduce imprisonment for gross negligence.
Implementing these measures could turn the Peshawar tragedy into a catalyst for systemic reform. Without them, more roofs will crumble, more futures will be lost, and Pakistan’s international image will continue to be weaponised by critics.
