Hafiz Nazir Ahmad, Director of the Department of Religious Affairs in PoK, told Reuters that security officials feared Indian forces could strike seminaries and portray them as militant training centres.
A government notification dated April 30, accessed by Reuters, stated that the madrasas were being closed due to a heatwave. However, Ahmad said the decision was taken to avoid panic. “Right now, we are facing two kinds of heat — one from the weather and the other from (Indian Prime Minister) Modi,” he said.India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. India has previously conducted strikes inside Pakistan, targeting what it described as terror infrastructure near the Line of Control (LoC).
“We held a meeting yesterday in which it was unanimously decided not to put innocent children at risk,” Ahmad said, adding that the decision was precautionary.
According to the PoK Department of Religious Affairs, there are 445 registered seminaries in the region with more than 26,000 students enrolled.
In a separate statement, the President’s Office of PoK also said the closure was a precautionary measure in view of the current security situation.
Tensions remain high between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Pakistan has warned that it would respond “assuredly and decisively” to any military move by India.
India accuses Pakistan of harbouring and training militants operating in Kashmir — an allegation Islamabad denies, asserting that it extends only diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri cause.
With inputs from Reuters
First Published: May 1, 2025 5:38 PM IS
