Thaindian News

Islamabad, Oct 21 (IANS) All government and private schools, colleges and universities throughout Pakistan have been closed after fears of militant attacks in the wake of twin suicide bombings at a university campus here, officials said.
The News Wednesday quoted the officials as saying that all educational institutions will remain closed till the security situation improves in the country.

All schools run by the armed forces have been shut since Sunday in the wake of the military offensive against the Taliban in South Waziristan that began Saturday.

The government’s latest move comes after at least six people, including two women students and two suicide bombers, were killed and several others injured in synchronised suicide bombings at a university here Tuesday afternoon when thousands of students were in the sprawling campus.

The Punjab government has decided that all educational institutions in the province would remain closed till further orders.

The decision was taken during a meeting presided over by Zulfiqar Khosa, the senior advisor to the Punjab chief minister.

The Punjab government has also directed the security agencies and concerned departments to take steps on a war-footing to ensure security arrangements in the educational institutions.

“The decision to reopen educational institutions will be taken only after ensuring a satisfactory security situation,” Ayyaz Sadiq, a member of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, told The News.

The Punjab government would meet on a daily basis and seek inputs from the police and the home, education, health and other related departments on the security situation in educational institutions, he added.

In Sindh, Education Secretary Rizwan Memon said all schools and colleges have shut until Sunday. “The decision has been taken to avoid any untoward incident in (the) wake of (the) current security situation in the country particularly after the attack in Islamabad.”

Many private schools in Islamabad and adjacent Rawalpindi informed parents by telephone they were shutting down temporarily for security reasons.

In the North West Frontier Province, the provincial government spokesperson said all private and state-run schools and colleges had been closed for five days.

The Balochistan education minister also said educational institutions would remain closed till Sunday.

The twin bombings at Islamabad’s International Islamic University took place amid heightened security following the Pakistani military launching a major offensive against the Taliban, which has vowed retaliation over US drone attacks. Pakistan has been subjected to a wave of terror attacks in the last fortnight.