Punjab seeks third-party audits for private school building safety

LAHORE: Punjab’s Communication and Works Department has refused to take on the task of issuing building fitness certificates for private schools and has instead recommended that the School Education Department hire independent engineering consultants for the job.

The move comes after the Education Department asked the C&W Department to inspect school buildings and certify them as structurally fit. The exercise was initially planned for around 3,500 private schools in Lahore after building collapse incidents in Kahna, Lahore, and Khanewal, with the intention of later expanding the process to all 43 districts of Punjab.

In its response, the C&W Department said a large number of private schools are operating in rented properties as well as residential and mixed-use structures. It said many of these buildings were constructed without approved engineering designs, compliance with building codes, or complete technical records.

The department’s position means the proposed certification process is now likely to shift toward independent third-party assessment rather than direct government-issued fitness clearance by C&W for private school premises across the province.