ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: All educational institutions of Islamabad, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s districts where the Corona positivity and infectivity rate is high will remain closed till April 11, 2021.
Briefing the media about the decisions taken in the Virtual Inter-Provincial Health and Education Ministers Meeting held at the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) in Islamabad on Wednesday, the Federal Minister for Education & Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood said that the government has decided that the educational institutions will remain closed in the selected districts including Islamabad till April 11 due to the rising cases of Coronavirus.
In Punjab, nine districts including educational institutions of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Sargodha, and Sheikhupura while in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10 districts including Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Swabi, Kohat, Malakand, Swat, Lower Dir, Nowshera, and Buner will remain closed.
The remaining districts will be open on the previous schedule.
In Sindh, educational institutions will remain open with a 50 percent attendance policy.
آج کےاین سی او سی کے اجلاس میں فیصلہ کیا گیا ہے کہ جن شہروں کو کورونا کے پیش نظر کو بند کیا گیا تھا وہ گیارہ اپریل تک بند رہیں گے ۔ ان اضلاع میں اگر کسی ضلعے کا اضافہ کرنا ہے تو یہ صوبائی حکومت کی صوابدید ہو گی ۔ وفاقی وزیر تعلیم شفقت محمود @Shafqat_Mahmood pic.twitter.com/bRQSriYDuI
— Ministry of Federal Education/ProfessionalTraining (@EduMinistryPK) March 24, 2021
The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan, the Provincial Health & Education Ministers including the Sindh Health and Educations Ministers Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho and Saeed Ghani & the Punjab Health and Education Ministers Dr. Yasmin Rashid and Murad Raas, and the Punjab Minister of Higher Education Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfraz.
Likewise, the Federal Education Secretary Farah Hamid Khan, the Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Federal Education and Professional Training Wajiha Qamar, the Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr. Tariq Banuri, and Officials from the Education Department, the NCOC, the Healthy Ministry, and other relevant Departments also attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the situation emerging in the wake of the third wave of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the Country.
وفاقی وزیر تعلیم @Shafqat_Mahmood کی سربراہی میں کورونا کی تیسری لہر کے پیش نظر پیدا ہونے والی صورتحال کا جائزہ لینے کے لئے وفاقی اور صوبائی وزرائے تعلیم و صحت کا اہم اجلاس این سی او سی میں جاری۔ محکمہ تعلیم اور صحت کے اعلی حکام شریک ۔ #Covid #Pakistan #Schools pic.twitter.com/oB1Tn7MECL
— Ministry of Federal Education/ProfessionalTraining (@EduMinistryPK) March 24, 2021
Briefing the media, Shafqat Mahmood said that the Coronavirus situation is very serious in certain districts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Kashmir. However, the intensity of the virus is relatively less in Sindh, Balochistan, and Gilgit Baltistan.
The minister said that the next meeting of the education and health ministers will be held on April 7 to review the whole situation and then take the decision accordingly.
Shafqat Mahmood told that the examinations of matric and intermediate (Part I & II) will be held as per the schedule announced by the provincial governments and boards.
It’s worth mentioning that all educational institutions in Islamabad and some districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were already shut from March 15 to 28, 2021 in the wake of a spike in COVID-19 cases.
