Schools in three provinces reopen tomorrow

LAHORE: All government-run and private educational institutions in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan will reopen on Monday (Oct 26) after a four-day closure prompted by security concerns following the suicide bombing in the Islamic University, Islamabad.

But the NWFP government has decided to extend the closure for one week, saying the law and order situation has worsened.

The Punjab government, however, qualified the announcement with an unexplained proviso: only those educational institutions would reopen which had made the prescribed security arrangements.

The announcement was made after a meeting chaired by Senior Adviser Sardar Zulfikar Khan Khosa on Saturday.

The adviser did not clarify which educational institution had made security arrangements and which had not.

A spokesman for the Governor’s House said that after a meeting with vice-chancellors of all universities in Punjab, the governor had asked the provincial government to reopen them on Monday.

NWFP: A notification issued by the elementary and secondary education department on Saturday said: ‘All government and private schools (including missionary, autonomous, semi autonomous) in NWFP shall remain closed till Nov 1.’

An official in the education department said the government had not taken a decision about reopening of schools on Nov 2.

The registrar of the Peshawar University said a decision on extending the closure or otherwise would be made on Monday.

According to the fresh security guidelines prepared by the administration, parents of students have been asked to drop them outside the premises of the university. The university has also banned all functions within its premises.

SINDH: The Sindh government had already taken a decision on Friday to reopen schools and colleges across the province next week. Universities in Sindh had reopened on Thursday after a one-day closure.

According to the provincial education secretary, foolproof measures had been taken to ensure safety of students, teachers and employees when schools and colleges reopened on Monday.

BALOCHISTAN: The education secretary chaired a meeting on Saturday to take a decision on the reopening of schools, colleges and universities in Balochistan.

The commissioner of Quetta division, special secretary to the governor and the DIG Operations attended the meeting.

According to a notification, the heads of educational institutions have been asked to ‘ensure security of students and not to allow entry of any unconcerned person into the premises’.

APP adds from Islamabad: All Army-run public schools, colleges and institutions run by the federal government will reopen on Monday, according to a notification.