- विज्ञापन -
Islamabad:Schools across Punjab and Islamabad will remain closed on Monday due to what officials described as a “security situation,” according to notifications issued by authorities on Sunday. The decision affects both public and private institutions, with officials in Rawalpindi specifically citing the 10th anniversary of the Army Public School (APS) attack as a reason for closures, Dawn reported.
The Punjab School Education Department notified: “In view of the prevailing situation in the province, it has been decided that all public and private schools in Punjab will remain closed on 16 December, 2024 (Monday).” However, it clarified, “All offices will remain open and perform their functions as usual.”
Islamabad’s District Magistrate Irfan Nawaz Memon issued a similar directive, ordering the closure of all public and private schools and colleges within the capital’s limits. Additionally, Lahore Deputy Commissioner (DC) Syed Musa Raza declared a holiday for all educational institutions in the district, while Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema confirmed a similar closure in his jurisdiction. Cheema told Dawn.com that examinations scheduled for December 16 had been postponed.
In Rawalpindi, Cheema explained the closure was to observe the 10th anniversary of the APS attack in Peshawar, in which 141 people, including 131 schoolchildren, were killed in a terrorist attack on December 16, 2014. Schools operated by the Army Public Schools and Colleges System in Karachi will also remain closed to commemorate the tragedy, as confirmed in a message sent to parents.
While no explicit reason was cited for closures in other areas, the timing coincides with the solemn anniversary. However, parents voiced frustration over the repeated disruption of their children’s education, reported Dawn.
