26,000 Students Sent Home as Pakistan Fears Indian Strikes on Seminaries
Authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have ordered the closure of all religious seminaries for 10 days, citing security concerns over possible Indian military action following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The unprecedented move, which affects more than 26,000 students enrolled in 445 registered madrasas (a college for Islamic instruction), was confirmed by regional officials on Thursday.
While the official notification, dated April 30, attributed the shutdown to an ongoing heatwave, senior officials privately acknowledged that fears of Indian airstrikes prompted the decision. “Right now, we are facing two kinds of heat — one from the weather and the other from [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi,” said Hafiz Nazir Ahmad, director of the Department of Religious Affairs in Pakistani Kashmir. “We held a meeting yesterday in which it was unanimously decided not to put innocent children at risk.”
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Kashmir remains a flashpoint between India and Pakistan, both of which claim the territory in full but govern separate portions. The region has been the epicenter of multiple wars and countless skirmishes since 1947. Tensions are especially volatile in the wake of any violent incidents, such as the recent attack on Indian tourists, which New Delhi says was orchestrated from across the border.
India has previously carried out airstrikes across the border, most notably in 2019, when it claimed to target a terror camp in Balakot. Pakistan rejected the claim at the time, sparking a brief but intense escalation between the two nuclear-armed nations.
